MORRIS – Victory for the Cullman Lady Bearcats slipped through their grasp on a bizarre ending against Pisgah during the North-South Softball Challenge at Mortimer Jordan High School Friday afternoon.
Cullman was leading 5-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth. Pisgah got a two-run single from Kaylee Vaught. Vaught worked her way to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch.
Time was running out. The pool play was exactly 75 minutes, with no extension of the inning.
Cullman was charged with an illegal pitch on Pisgah batter Annie Hughes when catcher Bailey Swann had her right foot outside the catcher's box. That allowed Vaught to come home and make the score 5-4.
Hughes walked as time ran out and began to sprint around the bases when two throws by the Cullman infielders went awry. The second sailed into the third-base dugout as Hughes came home to end the game tied 5-5.
Cullman got a 5-0 lead in the fourth on a pair of two-run singles by Sierra Easterwood and McKensi Burks, plus a run-scoring base hit by Kennedy Wren.
Easterwood was throwing a one-hit shutout entering the fourth when Pisgah scored on a two-out double by Hannah Duncan.
Cullman got seven hits in the game, led by Burks with a single, a double and two runs batted in.
Swann, Olivia Schwaiger, Wren and Gracie Cook singled. Easterwood's single drove in two runs.
Easterwood allowed five hits with four coming against her in the final two innings that led to five runs coming in.
Cullman 5, Pinson Valley 0
Coach Stephanie Conner's Lady Bearcats shook off the ending of the Pisgah game and came back with a strong outing against Pinson Valley.
Burks laid down a bunt single to score Swann in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead. Hannah Morton followed with a double as Burks raced in to give Cullman a two-run lead.
Singles by Meredith McPherson and Cook set up back-to-back doubles from Swann and Easterwood, pushing the score to 5-0.
Olivia Schwaiger gave up a single in the first then went on to retire 13 in a row and earn a shutout victory. Schwaiger struck out four, walked two and got help with a double play on a double-steal attempt.
Swann threw to Cook at second to erase a runner, with Cook getting a throw back to Swann at home, and Pinson's momentum was done for the inning and the rest of the game.
McPherson and Cook had two singles while Swann blasted two doubles to lead the Cullman hit parade. The Lady Cats produced 11 hits in 23 at-bats, compiling a .480 average for the game.
Cullman will conclude pool play in the evening vs. Mortimer Jordan then wait to see where they will be seeded when the format goes to tournament play Saturday.
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