DAYTON, Tenn. - The Bryan College Lady Lions made a statement on their home field Friday afternoon, sweeping the Cumberland Phoenix in a doubleheader that showcased both dominant pitching and explosive offense.
Game 1:
The Lions rolled to a 15-5 run-rule victory in five innings. Bryan's big inning came in the third, when the Lions sent 13 batters to the plate and scored 10 runs on nine hits, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 10-1 advantage in the blink of an eye. Every starter in the Bryan lineup reached base during the frame.
Juliana Santillanes,
Brooklyn Malone,
Maddie Lee, and
Ava Garay all delivered RBI hits, while
Ava Saul capped the inning with a two-run double. The carnage continued into the fourth, when Bryan plated five more runs to trigger the run rule.
Santillanes led all hitters with three hits and four RBIs on the day, while Malone added two hits and three RBIs. Garay finished with two hits and two RBIs, and Lee contributed two hits and two RBIs while also earning the win in the pitcher's circle. Lee went the full five innings, allowing five runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts — receiving more than enough run support to cruise to the victory.
Game 2:
In the nightcap, Bryan pitcher
KP Smith delivered one of the most impressive performances you'll see on a softball diamond, throwing a complete-game no-hitter to blank Cumberland 1-0 in seven innings.
Smith was nearly untouchable all afternoon, striking out seven batters while walking two and hitting one. She faced just 24 batters over 101 pitches, giving up zero hits from the first inning to the last. Cumberland's bats never got going, and the Lions were left stranded just three times — a testament to how rarely Smith even allowed baserunners.
The Lions' offense did just enough to give Smith the win. In the bottom of the sixth inning,
Brooklyn Malone reached on a single and was replaced by pinch runner
Cana Green. After a sacrifice groundout moved Green to second,
Maddie Lee reached on a third-base error that allowed Green to score what proved to be the game's only run. It wasn't pretty, but it was all Bryan needed.
Bryan College improves to -5-7 on the young season. The Lions will look to carry this momentum forward as they host another doubleheader against University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy. First pitch set to take place at 1:00 pm.
