Cumberland Advances to State Softball Tournament

SPRINGFIELD -- Cumberland High School, No. 5 in the Illinois Coaches' Association poll, knocked off No. 2 Hardin Calhoun 3-1 to advance to the Class 1A State Softball Tournament. Wednesday.

Kaylee Carlen, a sophomore, picked up the seven-hit pitching win and got out of two bases loaded jams, the final one in the seventh inning. She walked four and struck out five.

Katie Poe and Olivia Titus provided the big guns for the Pirates. Poe had two singles, a double and drove in a run while Titus banged out a home run, her 10th of the season.

The Pirates scored a run in the third to edge out to the lead. Thornton singled with one out and stole second. She headed to third on a wild pitch and scored when Audrey Casey reached first on a strikeout that went wild.

Cumberland scored another run in the fourth on the lead-off home run by Titus. The final run came in the fifth when Thornton led off with a walk and stole second. Poe then drove Thornton home with a single.

Hardin Calhoun left 11 runners on base, seven in scoring position. The squad finishes the season 29-6.

Cumberland advances to state with an 18-10 record. This is the third trip for the Pirates who took third in 2011. The Pirates will face Goreville at 10 a.m.  Friday at Eastside Centre in East Peoria.

Class 1A Super-Sectional

Cumberland               001    110    0     --    3-7-0

Hardin Calhoun          000    001    0    --    1-7-1

WP -- Carlen. LP -- Baalman.

Cumberland -- Thornton, single; Poe, 2 singles, double, 1 RBI; Titus, home run (fourth, none on), 1 RBI; Carlen, single; Greger, single

Hardin Calhoun -- no hits listed