Trojan News

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - NAIA No. 19 Trevecca (39-14) advanced in the winners bracket of the 2010 TranSouth Tournament with a 3-1 win over Cumberland (20-29) on Thursday. Trevecca will play second-seeded Union University on Friday at 1 p.m. The winner will play in the Championship game at 5:00 p.m.

Watch WZTV Fox 17 Game Highlights

After Fifth-seeded Cumberland scorded a run in the top of the first, top-seeded Trevecca scored two runs in their half of the inning and added one more in the third for a 3-1 victory.

CU was later eliminated on Thursday in a 2-1 eightin inning loss to Bethel University. The TranSouth Quarterfinal victory was the fourth win of the season over Cumberland. Trevecca finished the season with a 4-1 edge over CU. The Bulldogs defeated Trevecca 7-2 in the second game of a double header in Lebanon on March 24. Trevecca outscored Cumberland 37-10 on the season.
 
Allison Blackwood drove in Cumberland's only run of the day with a one-out single that brought Christina Manis home. Manis led off the inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second by CaSarah Gilliam.
 
The Cumberland lead was short-lived as the Trojans put up two runs with two outs in the bottom of the first. Anais Puertas got a bloop single into shallow left-center and Karli Rush followed with a triple into the right-field corner. Rush came home on a single by Monica West, who went 3-for-3 and drove in Trevecca's other run in the third inning.
 
The Bulldogs had baserunners on in all but the second and fifth inning, but couldn't claw back into the contest. A one-out double in the fourth was erased when Victoria Bennett and Autumn Collins became victims of strikeouts by Lauren Baker (19-7), who fanned nine Bulldogs.
 
Gilliam led off the sixth with a triple over the head of center fielder Breanna Zeis, but didn't stay on the base long as she was caught in a rundown on the final 60 feet of the base path after Blackwood hit grounder to the first baseman Melinda Patterson, who was playing up. By the time Gilliam was tagged out - after five different Trojans had their hands on the ball - Blackwood had rounded second and was tagged out near the third-base bag by left fielder Brooke Brennan. The unconventional double play would loom large as Cumberland's Megan Lavery singled into center in the next at bat, but a strikeout by Emily Nicholson followed and ended the inning and kept the score at 3-1 Trevecca.

Trevecca had several outstanding defensive plays in the game. Just to mention a fewl, Megan Hemmingsen had at least to spectacular diving catches at the hot corner while Karli Rush also made a diving catch of a foul ball while catching. Anais Puertas also had a couple of nice plays at second base.

Baker allowed five hits, a run, and two walks while striking out nine. Allison Blackwood (12-14) took the loss for Cumberland.

Trevecca had eight hits and an error while Cumberland finished with five hits. Rush was 2-3 with a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI. West was 3-3 with a double, two RBi. Baker was 2-3 at the plate.