LEBANON, Tenn. (Softball) – The Shawnee State softball team closed its first Mid-South Conference weekend of the season with a two-game split – winning game one, 7-6, before falling, 1-0 – versus Cumberland University on Sunday afternoon at the Cumberland Softball Field.
The Bears used a five-run fourth inning to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 6-3 advantage. SSU scored one in the second on an RBI double from Jenna Crawford (FR/Franklin Furnace, Ohio), but allowed CU to tie it in the bottom of the frame and take a 301 lead in the third with an RBI single from Brittany Rasmussen and a sacrifice fly from Giselle Delgado.
SSU took advantage of four walks in the fourth to plate five runs on just two hits. Jenna Crawford opened the frame with a free pass, before a pair of outs left the Bears with one on and two away. Jordyn Pennington (FR/Minford, Ohio) began the two-out rally with a walk of her own.
Kelsey Jenkins (SR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to one, and back-to-back free passes to Hannah Thacker (FR/Dry Ridge, Ky.) and Hanna Dittoe tied the game. Rachael Ash (FR/Grove City, Ohio) busted the contest open with a three-RBI double to right-center field, putting the Bears up, 6-3.
Cumberland followed with two runs in the fifth to make it 6-5, as Kassydi Montgomery knocked in a pair with a two-out double, but SSU got one back in the top of the sixth with an infield RBI single from Abbi Sparks (FR/Wheelersburg, Ohio), making it 7-5.
The Bulldogs again cut it to one in the sixth on an RBI double from Rasmussen, but SSU starting pitcher Thacker kept the home squad scoreless in the seventh to grab the victory. Thacker went all seven innings, allowing six runs on 15 hits. The freshman walked a pair and struck out two, as well.
The offensive onslaught of game one turned drastically in game two, as a pair of hurlers dueled in the circle. With Alex Bowers (FR/New London, Ohio) and Leah Newsome going toe-to-toe, a single run in the sixth would be the difference.
The lone run came for the Bulldogs, when Madison Gonzalez opened with a leadoff single. After a sacrifice bunt and a fly ball out, Katelyn Nowakowski came to the plate with a chance to play hero.
A two-strike pitch that seemed to catch the corner was called a ball, and the sophomore took advantage, roping the next pitch to center for the go-ahead RBI. The Bears went three-up, three-down in the seventh to drop the final game of the series.
Bowers went complete, going six innings with just the one earned run on nine hits. She struck out four and did not walk a batter. Newsome earned the complete-game shutout victory, allowing just three hits while waking and striking out three, as well.
The Bears return to action Tuesday for another Mid-South twinbill, the first at Boone Coleman Field. SSU will take on the University of Pikeville, beginning at 3 p.m.
