Cullman SB gets dramatic to win in extra innings over Brewer:
Bates shows good things in 2 roles for latest win by the Lady 'Cats:
GDW Analysis:
Dracen Bates showed clutch play in two phases during late innings for Cullman softball Thursday at home against Brewer.
Bates threw a scoreless 9th inning with 2 strikeouts to keep the game even.
In the bottom of the inning, the sophomore slapped a single into left scoring Hattie Graham from 3rd and rescue the Lady Bearcats in a 7 to 6 dramatic finish.
Cullman very much had its way with the Morgan County visitor until the Brewer half of the 7th.
The Lady Patriots tallied 4 runs on 4 hits with the last run coming home on a throwing error from 2nd to 1st that could have closed it out there for Cullman.
Both got a run in the 8th then in the 9th it was Bates that kept the go ahead run at 3rd when she struck out two, the last being called out on strikes.
Bates stepped in with one out and finished this day going 4 for 4 with 2 RBIs, a game winner and a run scored.
It allowed the Lady 'Cats to move to 12 & 2 with new coach Drew Bryson. Cullman was coming off a hard fought 7 to 6 loss Tuesday in Athens.
This time they were able to lock in on the opportunity in playing at home for just the 2nd time on the season.
Bates' first RBI came during the 1st with a one out single that got in Graham who reached first after being hit by a pitch.
Alli Johnson delivered a run scoring double in the 2nd to make it 2 to 0. Cullman added three to its side of the scoreboard in the 4th as Bates scampered home on a 6 to 3 groundout by Kyneli Storey.
Cullman was up 5 to 1 with Storey pitching well as she would collect 8 strikeouts in the game and allowed Brewer 1 run on 6 hits through the 6th.
Storey started to suffer from fatigue and Brewer went into making contact against her in the 7th.
Four solid base hits and a run off a throwing error created a new game for both at 5 to 5 in the middle of the 7th.
When Brewer scored a run in the 8th to gain the lead at 6 to 5, Cullman answered in its half of the frame on a sac fly to center by Abby Maples that sent home Haylee Little with the tieing run.
Cullman did not waste its chance to close out in the last of the 9th. The Lady 'Cats played the international rule in extra inning SB with a run at 2nd as the inning began.
That would be Graham who went to 3rd on a single to right by Reese Hopper.
Up next was Bates and the game ended in dramatic style at 6:31 p.m.
The game was played in 2 hours, 3 minutes.
Cullman will begin 6A Area 13 play at home Tuesday against Jasper at 4:30 p.m.
Photo of Cullman SB showing togetherness in a game vs. Bob Jones February 26 at Cullman High School.
Photo courtesy of Soulmate Snaps.
