Williamsburg, KY – Patriots Softball overpowers Midway University in a doubleheader sweep after first-inning blows in both games help Cumberlands establish an early lead. With the victories on home field, UC bounces back to an even 4-4 record on the year going into the weekend, while the Eagle fall to 5-5 this season.
 
Winning her first game from the circle, Paige Parker got the starting bid for the Patriots and completed 4.1 innings of work with one earned run against her. The rookie was relieved by Krystin Wilson, who garnered the save after tossing four strikeouts against eight batters while relinquishing one hit to close out game one.
 
Maddie Sickau was the power hitter of game one, belting three hits and an RBI, while scoring once herself. Emily Jasper added two runs as well after rounding the bases.
 
Sickau led off for the Patriots in the bottom of the first with an infield single to the left side. After stealing second, another infield single by Jasper caused confusion between the Midway fielders, resulting in a bad throw to allow Sickau to score the first run of the game. With Jasper now on third, Acacia Gray reached on fielder's choice while Jasper made an impressive slide under the tag at the plate to move the score to 2-0.
 
The Patriots had a chance to tack on another run in the second after Sickau tripled deep down the right field line. Believing the umpire signaled for interference by the third baseman, Sickau was tagged out on her trot to home on the miscommunication.
 
The Patriots kept the momentum in their favor though, tallying two more runs in the third. More errors by the infielders meant disaster for Midway, as Jasper, the lead-off, reached first on a bobbled ball. From there, the speedy freshman stole second to put pressure on the Eagles. The catcher attempted to catch Jasper stealing third, but the overthrow brought the rookie into the dugout with a run scored. Hannah Stephenson got two bases off of a dropped fly ball and soon completed the circuit after Tori Malone provided the sacrifice fly, bringing the score to 4-0.
 
Through the top of the fourth, Parker put together three-straight hitless innings while only allow one in the first. In the bottom of the fourth, the rookie showed no mercy in the batter's box either, beginning a two-out rally after driving a single into center to get on base. After stealing second, Sickau batted her in for the only earned run of the game against Midway's pitcher.
 
Three runs relinquished by the Patriots in the top of the fifth would be the final scores crossing home of the game. Wilson came out of the bullpen to relieve Parker and pitched three K's swinging in the sixth, adding the last in the seventh. The Patriots walk into the dugout after the top of the seventh with the 5-3.
 
Stephenson led UC from the plate in game two, going three hits of four at bats with two runs scored and three runs batted in. Gray and Meryn Livingston slugged two hits apiece, while Gray earned a run for Cumberlands and Livingston batted one in.
 
Getting the call to start in the circle for the second match-up of the day, Jessica Webb produced five complete innings of work while not earning any runs to win her second game of the season. Sydney Maynard made an appearance as a reliever, getting three strikeouts late in the game against eight batters.
 
Cumberlands scored big in the second game of the series, coming out strong with three runs in the first alone toward the 6-2 victory. Stephenson brought the first score in with a single to shallow center after Jasper came home from an initial walk and Gray got on by fielder's choice. Madison Huber bombed a triple down the right field line, keeping fair into the corner to score Stephenson and Malone – on base from a fielder's choice.
 
The Eagles responded with loaded bases, reaching on a pair of walks and a single up the middle. The Patriots infield helped Webb keep a zero on Midway's score-line, even as the Eagles batter chipped a hit into the infield. Stephenson reacted quickly off the shallow spot, keeping a heel on home for the force out as she scooped up the ball and got the double play at first on the throw. A pop-out to Huber ended the inning, 3-0.
 
While the Eagles scored a run in the third due to a Cumberlands error, UC produced another three runs from the plate in the fourth. Sickau once again led off with a single down the right-side chalk. After sacrifice bunt by jasper to move the runner over, Gray singled to put two Patriots in scoring position. Stephenson belted the deciding double to the right-center warning track to bring in a pair of runs. A new pitcher for Midway resulted in Livingston tabbing a single to allow Stephenson to cross home plate for UC's final run of the day.
 
As in game one, the Eagles try to get hits in their favor in the sixth, but came up empty after bringing home only one for a score and stranding two on. The Patriots took game two with a score of 6-2.
 
Patriots Softball hosts the Cumberlands-Union Classic this weekend, continuing a 14-game home swing. Union, Lawrence Tech and West Virginia Tech will also be in appearance during the three-day invitational.
 
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