Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Madisonville, TN – After a week hiatus due to inclement weather, the UC softball team returned to action Tuesday as they split a doubleheader with Hiwassee, winning the first game 8-7 before falling in game two 7-5. After the games, the Patriots improve to 4-10 on the season.

Hiwassee jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in game one.  The Patriots responded in the top of the second as Hannah Stephenson lead off with a walk.  UC took advantage of Tigers miscues as MiKayla Vires and Amber Hiller both reached base as Stephenson and Vires crossed the plate to tie the game at 2-2.   

The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the second to retake the lead 3-2.  That lead was short-lived however as UC scored twice in the third.  After getting the first two batters on base, Tara Comer hit a sac fly to center to score Morgan Santos from third. Two batters later, Vires singled to center scoring Kailin Yantz and giving Cumberlands a 4-3 lead. 

Hiwassee even the score at 4-4 before UC notched three runs in the top of the fifth.  Stephenson led off the inning with a single.  After back-to-back outs, Madison Huber hit an RBI single to center giving the Patriots a 5-4 edge.  Emily Fox drew a pinch hit walk, before Elisa Mauldin drilled a two-run triple down the right field line putting UC ahead 7-4. 

The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh as Hiwassee put the first three batters on base and scored twice cutting the lead to 7-6.  Sidney Pennycuff came in with the tying run on third base and struck out the first two batters she faced.  Courtney Savage tallied an RBI single before Pennycuff fanned Callie Haire to force extra innings. 

In the top of the eighth Santos reached base on an error and advanced Mauldin to third. Santos stole second on the next pitch and a Tigers throwing error allowed Mauldin to score and give UC an 8-7 lead.  That would be all they needed as Pennycuff struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning for the 8-7 final.

Stephenson led the way for the Patriots going 2-3 with two walks and two runs scored.  Hiller and Mauldin each drove in a pair of runs, while Pennycuff got the win pitching 2.0 innings with six strikeouts.

Cumberlands came out strong in game two as Pennycuff struck out of the leadoff batter and then got double play to retire the side in the first. 

The game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning as Elisa Mauldin led off with a double.  She advance to third on a Morgan Santos ground out, and would score on a MiKayla Vires single.  Two batters later, Lexi Jones hit an RBI single to give the Patriots a 2-0 lead.  Pennycuff added a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the third as part of a 1-2-3 inning. 

Hiwassee got three straight hits to load the bases to start the fourth inning.  Cumberlands was able to get two groundouts and Pennycuff fanned Julia Penley to limit the Tigers to just two runs in the inning. 

UC responded in the top of the fifth inning as Kailin Yantz hit a leadoff double, which was followed by an Emily Fox RBI triple. Fox scored as Jones converted an infield single to put the Patriots ahead 4-2.  The lead was short-lived however as the Tigers pushed five across the plate in the bottom of the inning giving Hiwassee a 7-4 edge. 

The Patriots looked to rally in the top of the seventh as Jones, Stephenson, and Madison Huber each drilled a hit to load the bases with no outs.  Morgan Ellis, who pinch-ran for Jones, scored on a Tara Comer groundout to make it 7-5.  After Mauldin drew a walk, the Tigers were able to get back-to-back outs for the 7-5 final.

Jones finished the game 3-4 with two RBI, while Mauldin, Santos, Yantz, and Fox each recorded a pair of hits.

The Patriots will return to the field Friday, March 14, when they host Michigan-Dearborn at the UC Softball Complex.  The doubleheader is slated to begin at 4 p.m. with live stats are available here, live video will be available for the second game of the doubleheader here.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots, Instagram - @UCPatriots, SnapChat - @UC_Patriots, YouTube – Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.