Atchison, Kan. — The No. 8 Central Methodist softball team split a Heart of America doubleheader Saturday at (RV) Benedictine College, falling 2-1 in eight innings in the opener before rallying for a 10-8 victory in the nightcap.
The split moves the Eagles to 13-8 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Benedictine now stands at 16-8 and 3-1 in the Heart.
Game 1: (RV) Benedictine 2 – No. 8 Central Methodist 1 (8 innings)
A tight pitchers' duel went to extra innings before Benedictine walked it off with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth.
Central broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. After reaching base, Kelsey O'Dowd came around to score when Madison Roberts laced an RBI double to left-center to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Benedictine answered in the sixth with a solo home run to even the score at 1-1.
Both teams were held scoreless in the seventh, sending the game to extras. In the bottom of the eighth, Benedictine took advantage of the international tiebreakder rule, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly to seal the 2-1 win for the Ravens.
CMU out-hit Benedictine 9-5 in the contest. Roberts led the Eagles with two hits and the lone RBI, while Kaysie Jolley and Emma King also recorded two hits apiece.
Kinlei Boley delivered a strong start in the circle, allowing one run on four hits over 7.1 innings with one strikeout.
Game 2: No. 8 Central Methodist 10 – (RV) Benedictine 8
The Eagles erased an early six-run deficit to claim a high-scoring victory in the second game.
Benedictine jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning behind a series of RBI hits and a two-run triple.
Central Methodist responded immediately in the second, scoring three runs on an RBI single from Brianna Craig, an error that plated another run and an RBI single by Joely Crider.
The Eagles continued their comeback in the third. King delivered a two-run double to tie the game before Boley drove in another run on a groundout to give CMU its first lead at 6-5.
Benedictine briefly regained the advantage with two runs in the bottom of the third, but CMU chipped away again. Jolley tied the game with an RBI single in the fourth and delivered another run-scoring hit in the sixth.
Moments later, King struck again with a two-run double down the left-field line to push the Eagles ahead 10-8, a lead they would not relinquish.
Karlie Barnum was outstanding in relief, earning the win after tossing 6.2 innings and allowing just two runs while striking out five.
Offensively, Central pounded out 13 hits. Jolley finished three-for-three with three runs scored and two RBI, while King drove in four runs on two doubles. Rachel Brandt also had a three-hit game, and Crider added two hits and an RBI.
Barnum improved to 6-0 on the season with the victory.
Up Next:
Central Methodist is set to play a non-conference doubleheader against Stephens College Thursday, March 19th in Columbia. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
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