Richmond, IN - Centre Softball continued its trek through Indiana on Thursday with a doubleheader at Earlham. The games combined for 47 hits and 42 runs as the teams split the pair.
Game 1: Centre 13, Earlham 8
Centre got off to a nice start to begin the day. Walks from
Baylee Estes and
Brinley Muller started the top of the 1st. The pair would move up 60 feet on a wild pitch.
Cheney Floyd then lofted a fly ball deep enough to score Estes and put the Colonels in the lead.
Emily Lammers then followed with a 1-1 single to left to bring Muller home to give Centre a 2-0 lead. The Colonels had the chance for more but a ground out stranded the bases loaded.
Katherine Weller got the start in the circle for the Colonels and faced trouble right away. A single, fielder's choice and double quickly gave Earlham a run back. A double steal then tied the game at 2. Earlham then singled three straight times for another run and a 3-2 lead. A 2-run single with the bases loaded followed as EC took a 5-2 lead after 1 and ended Weller's day in the circle.
Kennedy Caudill took over in the bottom of the 2nd. She worked around 3 walks and ended up striking out the side to strand the bases loaded and keep the deficit at 3. Centre had a shot at drawing closer in the top of the 4th. WIth 1 out,
Jada Challiss and
Baylee Estes singled.
Brinley Muller then drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. They would be left stranded as a strikeout and fly out brought the top of the 4th to a close.
Despite no runs that inning, Centre kept the pressure on and the dam finally broke in the top of the 5th.
Layne Ogle started with a single and was lifted on the bases for
Madison Skibo. Two batters later, Caudill singled to center.
Kira Mashburn followed with the same as Skibo motored around third to score to make it a 5-3 Earlham lead.
Jada Challiss drew a walk to load the bases.
Baylee Estes then laced a single to left, scoring Caudill to draw Centre within a run. Muller then slapped an infield single to third as Mashburn scampered home to tie the game at 5.
Aubrey Houston then came on as a pinch-hitter and delivered a clutch 2-RBI single to right center to give the Colonels a 7-5 lead.
Emily Lammers then singled to right to push 2 more runs home for a 9-5 lead. Lammers would ultimately score on a wild pitch. Later,
Kennedy Caudill stepped in again in the inning and grounded out to short as another run scored. In total, Centre raked out 7 hits, drew 4 walks and scored 9 runs in the top of the 5th for an 11-5 lead.
Earlham got 2 runs back in the bottom of the inning to stay within reach. The score stayed 11-7 going to the 7th, where Centre looked for added offense.
Emily Lammers started it with a 1-out double.
Layne Ogle then followed with an RBI double to the gap in right for a 12-7 lead. With runners at the corners and 2 out, Caudill was caught in a rundown between 1st and 2nd but stayed in it long enough for
Layne Ogle to score from 3rd for another insurance run. Earlham got a run back in the bottom of the 7th, but it was not enough as Centre took the first game, 13-8.
Kennedy Caudill pitched 6 strong innings of relief, allowing just 2 earned runs on a scattering of 8 hits. She also helped her own cause at the plate, going 3-5 with a run and RBI.
Game 2: Earlham 18, Centre 3
Earlham jumped on Centre starter
Ashley Howard from the start of the second game and never let up until the end. Earlham scored 3 in the bottom of the 1st to grab the early lead. After Centre went quietly in the top of the 2nd, Earlham kept attacking and put 5 more runs up as Howard was removed after 1 out in the 2nd. EC took an 8-0 lead after 2.
Sophia Lay stayed in the circle until Earlham put 2 more on the board in the 3rd for an 11-0 lead. Howard returned but fared no better as Earlham scored 7 in the 3rd for a 15-0 lead. Centre finally got on the board in the top of the 4th thanks to a 2 RBI single from
Aubrey Houston that scored
Kennedy Caudill and
Madalyn Irwin. Earlham countered with a 3-run homer in the bottom of the inning. An RBI single from
Layne Ogle in the top of the 5th was all the more Centre could come up with as Earlham took the finale via the run rule.
Centre stays in Indiana for one final doubleheader on Sunday when the Colonels take on Hanover starting at Noon.
