CULLMAN, Ala. – After dropping their last game at Athens, the Cullman Lady Bearcats looked to bounce back at home against Brewer on Thursday afternoon.
It was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game. A strong fifth inning by Cullman gave them a 5-1 lead, but a rally by Brewer in the top of the seventh tied things up at five and eventually sent the game into extra innings. Both teams traded runs to start out extra innings, then a game-winning RBI single off the bat of Dracen Bates gave the Lady Bearcats a 7-6 win over the Lady Patriots.
Kynlei Storey got the start for the Lady Bearcats and quickly found herself in an early jam, as a pair of singles put runners on first and second with two outs. Storey struck out the next batter to get out of the inning unscathed. Her teammates gave her some early run support in their half. Hattie Graham got hit by the pitch with one out, and Samantha Johnson followed that up with a single to left field to put runners on first and second with one out. A fielder’s choice put runners at the corners with two outs, and Dracen Bates hit an RBI single to left field to give Cullman a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Patriots tied the game up at one on an RBI single in the top of the second, but the Lady Bearcats broke the tie in their half. Leighton McGriff led off the inning with a single then moved up to second on a fielder’s choice. Allie Johnson lined the first pitch she saw into center field for an RBI double to put Cullman ahead, 2-1. Both pitchers, though, quickly settled down after that, as a combined three batters reached base for the next 2 1/2 innings. The Lady Bearcats added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Johnson lined a single to center field to lead off the inning but was forced out on a fielder’s choice by Reese Hopper. Bates lined a double to left field to move Hopper over to third with one out, then Storey helped out her own cause by lining an RBI double to center field to make it 3-1. McGriff drove in a run on a ground ball, then Haylee Little hit the first pitch she saw into left field for an RBI single to stretch their lead to 5-1.
The score remained the same going into the top of the seventh inning. Storey got two quick outs to lead off the inning and was one out away from ending the game. Brewer, though, had other plans, as back-to-back singles, followed by a passed ball three pitches later, put runners on second and third. A two-run double was followed by an RBI single, and all of a sudden, Cullman’s lead was cut to 5-4. A single put runners at first and second, then a costly error by the Lady Bearcats allowed the Lady Patriots to tie the game up at five. Cullman couldn’t win it in their half, so the game would be decided in extra innings.
Brewer didn’t waste any time breaking the tie in extra innings, as an RBI single on just the second pitch of their at-bat gave them a 6-5 lead. The Lady Bearcats looked to respond in their half. A sacrifice bunt by Johnson moved Little over to third to lead off their half, then two pitches later, Abby Maples tied the game up at six on a sacrifice fly. It would stay tied up at six going into the ninth inning. Bates collected a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless top of the ninth. The Lady Bearcats looked to end things in their half. A one-out double by Hopper put runners on second and third with one out, and Bates’ game-winning RBI single brought home Graham to give Cullman a thrilling 7-6 win over the Lady Patriots.
Bates had a huge night at the plate for the Lady Bearcats, collecting four hits and a pair of RBIs. Storey (two hits), Johnson (two hits), McGriff (one hit), Little (one hit), and Maples all collected an RBI in the win for Cullman (12-2).
The Lady Bearcats will host Jasper in a huge area game next Tuesday afternoon.
