Shawnee, Kan. – No. 8 Central Methodist softball turned in a 3-1 showing at the Top Gun Midwest College Classic this weekend, highlighted by a pair of dramatic comeback victories and a 20-run outburst in Shawnee, Kansas.
The Eagles opened the tournament Friday with a thrilling 8-7 comeback win over York University before erupting for a 20-0 run-rule victory against Waldorf University. On Saturday, CMU rallied past Kansas Wesleyan University, 12-6, before dropping a hard-fought 7-6 decision to No. 11 Midland.
Game 1: No. 8 CMU 8 - York 7
The Eagles showed resilience in their opener, erasing a late deficit with three runs in the seventh inning to secure the win.
CMU struck first in the opening frame as Elizabeth Palumbo launched a three-run homer to center, scoring Joely Crider and Kaysie Jolley. Madison Roberts added an RBI single to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
York answered with five runs in the bottom half of the first and added another in the second to take a 6-4 advantage. The Panthers extended the lead to 7-5 with a solo homer in the sixth.
Trailing 7-5 entering the seventh, the Eagles mounted the decisive rally. Jolley delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to one before Palumbo tied the game with a ground-rule double. Emma King followed with the go-ahead RBI single to right, putting CMU in front for good.
Emma Ray (3-0) was dominant in relief, tossing 6.2 innings while allowing two runs and striking out five to earn the victory. Palumbo finished three-for-four with four RBI, while Jolley, Roberts and King each contributed key hits in the comeback effort.
Game 2: No. 8 CMU 20 - Waldorf 0
The Eagles' offense exploded in game two, plating nine runs in the first inning and never looking back in a five-inning run-rule victory.
Joely Crider went two-for-two with a pair of doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Jolley belted a home run and drove in four while Palumbo added a homer and three RBI as part of CMU's 17-hit performance.
Brianna Craig drove in three runs and scored three times, and Anna Stasia Ballew added a pair of hits and an RBI.
In the circle, Karlie Barnum was nearly untouchable, striking out eight over four innings while allowing just one hit. The Eagles did not commit an error defensively in the shutout.
Game 3: No. 8 CMU 12 - Kansas Wesleyan 6
Saturday's opener featured another comeback performance as CMU broke open a tight contest with a six-run sixth inning.
After falling behind 4-1 early, the Eagles chipped away with runs in the second and fourth innings, highlighted by Kinlei Boley's solo home run to tie the game at 4-4. Kansas Wesleyan briefly regained the lead in the fifth before CMU answered with two runs, capped by a two-RBI single from Emma King.
The Eagles seized control in the sixth. Boley started the rally with an RBI single, Crider followed with a run-scoring double, and Jolley added an RBI single. Maddie Holly delivered the big blow with a two-run triple, and Roberts capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 12-6.
Ray again earned the win in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Offensively, CMU totaled 15 hits, with Crider, Jolley, Palumbo, Holly and Boley each recording multi-hit efforts.
Game 4: No. 11 Midland 7 - No. 8 CMU 6
In the tournament finale, the Eagles nearly completed another comeback but fell just short.
Midland jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and extended the advantage to 6-0 through five frames. CMU responded with five runs in the sixth, highlighted by Palumbo's two-run homer and a two-RBI single from Ballew.
Boley tied the game at 6-6 with an RBI single in the seventh, but Midland answered with a walk-off solo homer in the bottom half to claim the 7-6 win.
Crider went two-for-three with an RBI and a run scored, while Palumbo finished with two hits and two RBI.
Up Next:
For the weekend, the Eagles showcased a potent offense, scoring 46 runs across four games while collecting 53 hits. Central is now 9-3 and will next compete in the Gulf Shores Invitational beginning Friday, March 6 in Alabama.
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