Softball Battles but Drop DH to No. 3 UC on Senior Day
MCKENZIE, Tenn. –The Bethel Lady Wildcats and the Patriots of No.3 University of the Cumberlands squared off in a doubleheader Friday at Lady Wildcat Park.
Four Lady Wildcats were honored in pregame ceremonies on Senior Day. Graduate student Alexis Wheeler along with seniors, Kennedy Gillespie, Jezabelle Quintana and Mikayla Vincent were honored.
The players were joined on the field by Head Coach John Weeks, Assistant Coach Gadier Charriez, Bethel Senior Athletic Director Brad Chappell, Bethel President Dr. Walter Butler, Executive Vice-President Wayne Scott and Vice-President and Academic Dean Cindy Mallard. Each was presented their diplomas and a student-athlete pin. The softball team will be in Bowling Green for the MSC Championships.
In a wild first game, the Patriots won 14-9.
The Lady Cats scored three runs in the bottom of the first. Maria Murdaugh led the inning off with a double to left. Murdaugh would score on a Kennedy Gillespie fielder's choice groundout. After an Alexis Wheeler single, Jezabelle Quintana slugged a two -run homer to left to give the Cats the 3-0 lead.
The second inning was another productive frame for Bethel. After Miranda Carnell doubled, Kinsley Caruthers singled to put Bethel runners at second and third. Murdaugh drove in both runners with a single to right center to put the Cats up 5-0. Gillespie drove in two runs with a double and Bethel led 7-0.
The Patriots plated five runs in the fourth. Cumberlands tied the game at 7-7 with two runs in the sixth.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the tenth when UC scored to take an 8-7 lead.
The Cats tied it in the bottom of the tenth when Alexis Wheeler drove in Amber Osborne with a sacrifice fly to left.
Cumberland scored a single run in the top of the eleventh to grab a 9-8 lead.
Bethel fought back again in the bottom of the eleventh to extend the game. The Cats tied it at 9-9 when Quintana scored. Emma Johnson had the RBI on a fielder's choice.
UC won the game with a five run twelfth inning.
The Pats outhit Bethel 17-11. Maddie Locke pitched well but suffered the loss. Talli Burgess was the winning hurler for CU.
UC moved out to a 4-0 lead in the second game. Bethel scored a run in the fourth and tied the game in the fifth. Lauren Reimsnyder had a sacrifice fly driving in Abby Alton who had tripled earlier in the inning. Wheeler tied it with a two-run homer.
Showing why they are the third ranked team in the nation, the Patriots scored four runs in the sixth and won 8-4. The Pats outhit the Cats 8-4.
The Wildcats fell to 21-20 overall and 11-12 in the Mid-South Conference. The Patriots moved to 42-3 overall and 21 -0 in the league. UC has won 16 in a row.
The squads close out the regular season in a single game Saturday at 1 p.m.
Live stats:
https://bethelathletics.com/sports/sball/2022-23/boxscores/20230428_26ww.xml
Watch:
https://bethelathletics.com/watch