Danville, KY - Senior Day is not officially until Saturday, but
Morgan Tabor got the weekend started on the right foot with 2 long homers as Centre poured it on late to run rule Sewanee, 11-3, to start the critical three-game series.
Kennedy Caudill got the start for the Colonels and quickly blazed through the top of the Sewanee order with 2 strikeouts and a tapper back to the circle in the 1st. She was gifted a lead in the bottom of the inning.
Brinley Muller drew a 1-out walk and stole 2nd. She came home on a seeing-eye single to left from
Emily Lammers for the early lead. Sewanee got the run back in the top of the 2nd.
In the bottom of the 2nd,
Morgan Tabor got a 3-1 fastball and sent it clear over the fence in center for her first long ball of the season to put the Colonels right back in the lead, 2-1. Caudill worked out of trouble in the 3rd and 4th innings, stranding two runners each time but came away unscathed.
Centre took the momentum and kick the door down in the bottom of the 4th.
Emily Lammers started the inning with another single to left.
Madison Skibo came on to pinch run and promptly stole 2nd.
Layne Ogle then dropped a would-be sacrifice bunt, but the bunt was so good that she beat the throw to first. During the play, Skibo scampered around 3rd. With the defense looking towards Skibo, Ogle tried for 2nd, but Sewanee fired back there to tag Ogle out. Skibo would score on the exchange for a 3-1 lead.
Kennedy Caudill then dropped another perfect bunt for a hit. Tabor motored to 3rd, while Caudill was aggressive in taking 2nd on the play. After a pitching change,
Jada Challiss floated a single to center, scoring both runners for a 5-1 Centre lead.
Cheney Floyd then laid down Centre's 3rd bunt base hit of the inning to move Challiss to 3rd.
Baylee Estes then singled to right to bring Challiss home for a 6-1 lead.
Rylee Sandifer then beat out an infield single to short. The throw to 1st was not in time but also wide, hitting off the Sewanee dugout facade. Floyd and Estes both scored to cap a 6-run, 7-hit inning and give Centre an 8-1 lead after 4.
Sewanee got 2 runs back in the top of the 5th to cut Centre's lead to 8-3. Centre had ideas for a shortened game.
Layne Ogle started the bottom of 5 with a single to right.
Morgan Tabor then stepped in and crushed a homer to left center. Her 2nd of the day pushed Centre's lead right back to 7 at 10-3 and brought the Colonels one away from a run rule win. Caudill helped her own cause again with a single to right.
Jada Challiss followed with a grounder to short. Sewanee went to 2nd for the force but Caudill beat the throw.
Cheney Floyd then walked to load the bases with no outs.
Baylee Estes then tapped the first pitch she saw towards short and beat the ball out for a single as Caudill scored to give Centre the run rule win.
Kennedy Caudill improved to 5-2 on the season as she pitched the complete game, allowing 4 hits and only 2 earned runs on 100 pitches. Six Colonels finished the game with 2 hits each, including Tabor, who drove in 3 on her home runs.
Centre will look for the series win and more on Saturday as the Colonels celebrate Senior Day. Game 2 of the series starts at 1:00pm. Senior Day honors will take place between games.
Â
