Williamsburg, KY – The Patriots down the Hiwassee Tigers once again with stellar performances by the softball team on both sides of the inning. Impressive bat-to-ball contact at the plate highlighted the including
Paige Parker slamming her first collegiate homer.
UC tallied at least one run in all but one inning, leading to a combined 24 hits and 22 runs scored on the day. After a pair of five-inning victories, 11-2 and 11-0, the Patriots advance to 16-12 on the season.
At the plate,
Maddie Sickau and
Hannah Stephenson were the big hitters of the doubleheader, as the duo goes 3-4 and 4-5 respectively with five RBIs apiece between two games of action. Stephenson had the upper hand, scoring five times herself from four hits, tabbing two triples and a double on the day.
Both of Cumberlands starters in the circle walked off with a five-inning win, as Parker took game one and
Sydney Maynard got the call for game two. The pitching pair snagged eight strikeouts with seven out of the hand of Maynard.
GAME ONE: WIN, 11-2
The Patriots made their move early, claiming a two-run advantage in the first inning.
Maddie Sickau tabbed her only RBI hit in the game, plating
Hannah Stephenson before making the turns herself, helped out by a Tiger errant throw.
Parker allowed two runs to score in the top of the second to refresh the ball game, but responds with a big punch over the right field wall on the other side of the inning. The freshman kept her cool through her 2-1 count, collecting her first home run of the season on her way to a win in the circle.
The Patriots plate two more in the second to take a 5-2 edge over the Tigers. After the home run, Biggerstaff takes a free base on a walk only to be round the diamond off Stephenson's double.
Emily Jasper sacrifices her bunt to move her teammate over a base, but Stephenson chose to continue on for the score.
Madison Huber began a one-out rally for the Patriots in the third, ripping her fifth triple of the season, this time to deep left-center. A walk and hit-by-pitch juiced the bases before Stephenson stepped up and singled to center to score two. Jasper got the bid to plate two more after also singling up the middle.
After claiming the 10-2 advantage, UC cycles through five pinch hitters in their final look from the plate.
Hayley Kilburn notched her fourth hit of the season to load the bases once again. A missed catch during
Morgan Ellis's at bat meant one more run for the Patriots, ever increasing their lead.
GAME TWO: WIN, 11-0
Stephenson led off action with a triple in the first inning and was brought the rest of the way home by Sickau's sacrifice fly to center field. The junior bombed another ball to the warning track in the third but tailed just foul. Jasper scored the second run of the game later in the third, stealing second and racing for home plate after Sickau's infield single
The Patriots turned on their motors and began to heavily produce offensively in the fourth inning, batting around the order on their way to dishing nine runs. Huber got the lead-off single, who cruised three bases for the score on
Tori Malone's single. Biggerstaff found herself on base for the first time in the game, snatching her bag after beating out the infield throw from shortstop.
From there, the Patriots tallied six runs from seven consecutive bat contacts, including three Patriots tabbing extra-base hits over the stretch. Stephenson added another triple and RBI to her name, her third extra-base hit of the day and 20th RBI of the season. Sickau and Livingston both collect two bases from their hits, adding their doubles to Malone's notched earlier in the inning.
Maynard recorded an impressive start in game two, pitching a complete-game shutout against the Tigers. The righty faced 16 batters, striking out a career high seven while working from the circle, offering one hit. The West Virginia product dropped five swinging and two looking.
In the five-inning affair,
Acacia Gray lent her hand defensively as the freshman racked up six assists on the day, making several key throws across the diamond to first baseman Malone. Malone tallied seven of the groundout putouts.
UP NEXT
Patriots now find themselves on a six-game win-streak heading into the more conference action this weekend. Next on the docket, Cumberlands travels to Grayson, KY for a four-game series with Kentucky Christian. First pitch on Friday is set for 3:00 PM.
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