Phoenix split with Lane in Jackson

Apr. 1—JACKSON — Cumberland softball lost a 1-0 pitcher's duel in game one, but bounced back to get a 3-2 win and split the day on the road at Lane on Wednesday.

Game one was a pitcher's duel between Bailey Griffith and Autumn Phillips with Lane coming out with a 1-0 win.

Phillips worked out jams in the first and second innings.

To lead off the game, Anna Lay hit a single and worked herself over to third, but was stranded there. In the second, Jacey Hatfield lead off with a single. After stealing second, Madison Koczersut hit a single to left and moved to second on the throw to the plate holding Hatfield at third. With no outs and runners on second third, Phillips induced a pop up, and back-to-back strikeouts to keep the Phoenix off the board.

Griffith worked around a single in the first and a walk in the second and cruised through the third and fourth unscaved. The Dragons finally worked something together in the fifth with back-to-back singles. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt and the lone run of the game came in on a squeeze.

Cumberland again threatened in the sixth as Ashtyn Blair hit a single and Ashton Whiles followed it with a single to put two runners on. Abby Chappell laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the tying run to third with one out. Hatfield then popped up to second and Blair tried to force the action and make the Dragons make a play and they did throwing her out at the plate to keep the shutout.

Griffith suffered the tough luck loss after allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six. Phillips picked up the win going six innings giving fice hits with two strikeouts. Jersey Cabana picked up the save for Lane.

In game two, the Phoenix bats collected 10 hits and pushed across two runs in the fifth to get the win.

Emily Cooper earned the win in the circle tossing a complete game giving up two runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts.

Lay again started the game with a leadoff single. She stole second and third and came in to score on a double play to put Cumberland up 1-0.

The Dragons answered in the bottom half with a double from Millay Lambert. Lambert scored on an RBI-single from Kaylee Stinnett to tie the game.

In the third inning, Ava Mearideth leadoff the inning with a home run to give Lane a 2-1 lead. After a scoreless fourth, Lay started the rally in the fifth with a single and her third stolen base of the game. Allie Burleson roped a triple to right field to score Lay and Blair backed her up with a double to score Burleson and reclaim the lead 3-2.

Cooper stranded two runners on in the fifth and then went three up, three down in the sixth and seventh to claim the one run win.

The Phoenix are off this weekend, but will be back in action next weekend on the road at No. 14 Freed-Hardeman.