CULLMAN – Cullman continued to swing hot bats, just like their last game, as they hit three home runs and scored more off some Brewer errors to take home a 17-6 win last night that ended after six because of the 10-run deficit rule.
Brewer made Cullman pitcher Sierra Easterwood throw a lot of pitches in the opening inning. Madisen Adams led off the game with a bloop single to left field on a full count. Joanie Lang and Hannah Buchanan each had full counts as well, but Easterwood struck them out, and Jessie Privett struck out after a six-pitch at-bat. Cullman got the long ball started in their opening at-bats. Bailey Swann had a one-out bunt single, then she stole second. McKensi Burks then smashed a two-run home run over the right-center field fence to put Cullman on the board at 2-0. On the first pitch, Hannah Morton hit another one at almost the exact same spot to increase the Lady Bearcat lead to 3-0. Tiffani and Olivia Schwaiger each drew walks, then Keslynn Grimmett drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Emalee Cook, but she went out looking on three straight pitches to keep the score at 3-0 after one.
Cullman continued to apply the pressure on Brewer pitcher Cassidy Stephens in the next inning. Burks got hit by the pitch with two outs, then Morton and Tiffani Schwaiger each drew walks to load the bases once again, this time for Olivia Schwaiger, who delivered an RBI single on the first pitch to drive home Burks to widen the lead to 4-0. The Lady Patriots looked to get on the scoreboard in the third inning. Back-to-back singles by Adams and Lang had them in business with nobody out. They moved up to third and second, respectively, on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, Privett lined an RBI single to drive home Adams to put Brewer on the scoreboard, and Lang got thrown out at third. Caitlyn Bryson reached on an error, which allowed Privett to score on the play, and that cut the deficit to just two at 4-2.
The Lady Bearcats looked to answer in their half of the third. Grimmett reached on a throwing error by Privett, and she advanced to second on the play. Cook then reached on an infield single on the first pitch. Easterwood lined a two-run double down the left-field line, driving home Grimmett and Cook, then Swann drove Easterwood in with an RBI single, again, down the left-field line, and she stole second, then advanced to third on a wild pitch, and came home on a Morton RBI groundout to widen the lead to 8-2, then two walks and an out later, Kennedy Wren lined a single to center field, driving in Morton, and Cullman was enjoying a 9-2 lead after three.
But Brewer countered in the top of the fourth. Henslee Brindley got the two-out rally started with a bloop single into left-center, then she advanced to second a wild pitch. Then Adams lined a double into right-center, driving in Brindley, and then Lang drove Adams home with an RBI single, and the lead was cut to 9-4. Cullman looked to counter once again, and back-to-back walks to start off their half of the fourth got them off to a blazing start. Swann then moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. A wild pitch by the new pitcher, Adams, brought home run number 10 for Cullman. The Lady Bearcats added another run on an Olivia Schwaiger RBI infield single.
The Lady Patriots started the sixth inning strong. Summer Rice drew a walk, then Taylor Dudley hit a single to left field. Brindley then hit a pop fly in the infield, which nobody could catch, and Easterwood picked it up and threw wildly past Swann at third base, allowing Rice to score. Adams drove in Dudley with an RBI single to cut the deficit to five at 11-6. Cullman looked to end the game in their half. Back-to-back one-out errors by Brewer put Cullman in business once again, and Easterwood scored on a wild pitch, then Burks drew a walk, and Morton lined an RBI single into right-center field, driving in Swann. After another run scored on another Brewer error, Meredith McPherson ended the game with a three-run home run over the left-field fence.
Easterwood pitched a complete game. She allowed nine hits, six runs, four of them earned, walked three and struck out nine. She added a hit and two RBIs. All but two Cullman players that played had at least one RBI in the game. Swann went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a single and a double. Burks went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Morton went perfect in her five plate appearances, drawing three walks, and hitting a home run, a single and driving in two. Tiffani Schwaiger walked three times, and added a hit and an RBI as well. Olivia Schwaiger added a hit and an RBI, as did Wren. McPherson had a home run and three RBIs for Cullman as they improved to 7-8 on the season. They will look to extend their winning streak to three on Tuesday at home against West Morgan.
Stephens went three innings, giving up eight hits and nine runs, seven of them earned, walking seven, and striking out two. Adams went three as well, as she gave up three hits, eight runs, five of them earned, walked five and struck out two. She went 4-for-4 as well, with three singles and a double, two RBIs, and also scored two runs. Lang went 2-for-4 with two singles and an RBI. Privett added a hit and an RBI., Rice drew two walks and scored a run, as did Dudley. Brindley added a hit and scored a run. Brewer will travel to Good Hope on Monday.
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