Lawrenceville, GA – A first-inning rallies were not enough for the Patriots on their opening day, falling to the Reinhardt Eagles, receiving votes in the NAIA, 7-6 before dropping the night cap to 5-3 to fifth-ranked Georgia Gwinnett at the Grizzly Open.
 
Madison Huber also collected multiple hits in game one, showing two of four at the plate. Both hits were singles, one for her first RBI, while scoring once herself. Her biggest hit at the Grizzly Open came in game two, going big with the Patriots' first homerun of the new year.
 
Corinne Haverland had a strong showing in the first game of the season, noting her fifth collegiate start. The sophomore from Cincinnati, OH went 2-3 at the plate, her first time registering multiple hits in a game of her career. She also batted in one on the day, her first RBI when starting in the batting order. Haverland added one more hit against the Grizzlies.
 
Maddie Sickau and Tori Malone were also pivotal players against the Eagles, sporting two RBI of their solo hits apiece. Sickau moved ahead in game two of the day with a perfect outing, three straight singles for the sophomore.

GAME ONE: CUMBERLANDS FALLS TO REINHARDT, 7-6
The Patriots lit up the scoreboard fast and furiously in the first inning, scoring six runs on six hits as well as batted around the order. Hailey Wood led off for the Patriot line-up, singling up the middle before advancing to third off Emily Jasper's bat. With two runners in scoring position, returning MSC Freshman of the Year Sickau brought them home with a single to right center.

A single in the six-hole by Huber extended the Patriot lead to 3-0, scoring Katie Cheeseman. Malone came up with the biggest hit of the inning, a two-RBI double to score Meryn Livingston and Huber. Haverland hit for one base in her fifth career start, and her first career RBI when starting.

Over the first four innings with Jessica Webb in the circle, Reinhardt was held to one run from three hits. In the stretch, Webb dropped on batter looking while Wood and Malone worked in a double play from third to first to end the fourth.

A strong start to the day was not enough to push the Patriots over the Eagles. Huber and Haverland were the only Patriots to collect multiple hits in the outing, both coming in the third. Meanwhile, the Eagles rallied six more runs, including three in the seventh, to take the 7-6 advantage. Having already scored two in the fifth, the Patriots stood tall as Webb noted her second strikeout and an unassisted putout by Wood to end the inning with the bases loaded.

After reaching on fielder's choice in the first, Cheeseman noted her first hit of the contest in the bottom of the seventh with two outs. An infield single by Livingston put runners on the corners. Threatening to tie up the score line, a fly out to center ended the Patriots' chance to open the season with a win.

Webb faced 36 batters in 6.1 innings over the course of the day. In 120 pitches, the junior allowed nine hits while earning seven runs. Coming in to close, Kaitlin White noted her first Patriot strikeout from the circle, allowing one hit in three at bats in the loss.

GAME TWO: CUMBERLANDS FALLS TO #5 GEORGIA GWINNETT, 5-4
The Patriots once again got on the board early as Sickau came around to score on a Grizzly error. Held at the plate in the second, Haverland led off finding outfield grass and advanced to second on the fielder's choice. Sickau moved her teammate to third on a left-field single, but a hefty throw to the plate ended the inning as Haverland was caught stretching, looking for a two-score advantage.
 
Sickau put in the work during the second game of the day, coming out of the game with seven assists credited to her name. In the third inning, the sophomore collected a lineout and toss to first for the team's second double play of the day. 
 
Huber struck gold in the top of the fourth, slamming the first pitch 225-plus feet over center field for the first Patriot homerun of the season. Cheeseman also scored on the long ball, putting the Patriots up 3-1 after a tying Grizzly run in the third.
 
Kaci Goedde entered the fourth allowing only two hits on 18 batters. Bases filled up quickly as the figure grew to five, but the Patriots did not relinquish a run, stranding all three on as Wood made the long toss to first from third.
 
Goedde ended her debut in the sixth inning, seeing 5.0 innings of work from the center of the infield. She noted a sole strikeout in the outing, earning one run on six hits. White came in for the save again, however earned four runs to give up the previous Patriot lead.
 
The Patriots chalked a run in the seventh but were unable to tie up the game for extra innings. White moved to 0-2, seeing four batters in one inning, dishing 13 strikes total.
 
The Patriots were able to score four runs on nine hits in the night cap, helped to the plate on three RBI. Multi-hit games came from in the three and four spots behind Sickau and Livingston. Sickau went a perfect three-for-three in her second game of the season with one RBI and one run scored. Meanwhile, Livingston hung in at 2-4 while batting.

UP NEXT
The Patriots meet the Red Storm of Rio Grande on the field tomorrow morning at 11 AM, the team's first match-up of two slated this season. After, Cumberlands closes out the Grizzly Open with a second game against the Reinhardt Eagles at 3 PM.

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