LEBANON, Tenn. - Kayden Murray dialed up a gem from the circle as No. 11 Lindsey Wilson softball bested Cumberland (Tenn.) 6-0 on Friday afternoon.
The Blue Raiders' starting pitcher punched a career-high 16 strikeouts and did not allow a Phoenix hit until the bottom of the seventh inning. Murray improves to 18-2 on the year and slides up to fifth place on the program's career strikeout list.
As for the offense, seven different players recorded a hit for Lindsey Wilson, including five with multiple hits.
Emerson McKinnis paced the visitors at the plate with two RBIs.
The first run of the day came off the bat of
Kaiden Rodgers in the top of the third frame when her groundout scored
Summer Ray.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Blue Raiders found a rhythm in the fifth.
Nora Epley led off with a single up the middle, then moved up to third base on a double by
Atavya Fowler. The next three up for Lindsey Wilson --
Sam Hartman,
Natalie Wandrie, and McKinnis -- each produced RBI-singles to bump the lead to 4-0.
Marissa Frolich capped the inning as her infield grounder forced the Phoenix first baseman off the bag, allowing Wandrie to score.
McKinnis took responsibility for the Blue Raiders' last run of the day. A solo home run belted to center field, her sixth of the season, made it 6-0 in the top leg of the seventh.
Despite Cumberland salvaging its lone hit in the final half-inning, Murray picked each of the last three outs on swinging strikeouts.
Lindsey Wilson returns to Billy Dee Ross Stadium at noon CT on Saturday, April 11 for a doubleheader to wrap the series.
