Fayette, Mo. - The No. 6 Central Methodist softball team split its pair of games against Culver-Stockton College Sunday afternoon at Cox Softball Complex. 

With the split, Central moves 29-4 and 15-3 in conference action, while the Wildcats are now 11-21 and 8-12 in the Heart.

In game one, Central jumped out in front early with a run in the first, courtesy of a fielder's choice which scored Kelena Oots. The Eagles padded their lead in the third with an RBI single from Katelyn Kiser.

CMU broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth with four runs highlighted by a two-RBI triple from Montana Stangel. Central capped the 8-0 win with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning to pick up the game one victory.

The trio of Kiser, Madison White, and Oots each picked up two hits, while Stangel led all players with three RBI. Keighlan Cronin picked up another win in the circle, tossing a complete-game shutout and giving up no runs on two hits along with seven strikeouts.

Game two was a low-scoring affair and a pitcher's duel, as there was only one run scored through the first four innings of play. The Eagles struck first in the third, as Morgan Willis reached home on an error by Culver's third basemen.

The Wildcats responded with runs in each of the next two innings to take a 2-1 lead over Central. However, the Eagles answered right back on a solo home run from Kelli Gorman in the sixth to tie the game at 2-2.

In just the next half inning, Culver-Stockton regained the lead on an error by the CMU defense. The Eagles were unable to answer in the bottom half, as Culver edged CMU, 3-2 in the second game of the doubleheader.

Madison Love pitched all seven innings for the Eagles, allowing three runs on seven hits with 11 strikeouts.

The Eagles remain at home for a doubleheader against Park University Tuesday, March 13 at Cox Softball Complex beginning at 2:00 p.m.

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