Oneida, TN – The UC softball team won both of their games on the second day of the Bear Creek Tournament. The Pats outscored their opponents 12-5 off of 22 hits. Cumberlands also got the job done on defense with both starting pitchers throwing complete games giving up just nine hits and six walks.

The offense was led by Maddie Sickau who went 5-7 at the plate with a team best 3 RBI. The sophomore added a home run and a double bumping her batting average to a team best .464.

The other home run hitter of the day was freshman Hailey Wood, the first of her career. Wood added three other hits to her day total with seven at bats. The McMinnville, TN native has settled into the leadoff spot nicely with the second-best OB% among everyday starters with .469.

Madison Huber once again highlighted the Patriots stat sheet going 4-7 with two doubles and an RBI. The junior has five extra base hits to lead the team.
 
GAME ONE: CUMBERLANDS DEFEATS GRACE, 7-1
After giving up a first inning run off a sacrifice fly, junior pitcher Jessica Webb settled into the game surrendering just four hits after seven innings of work. This was her first complete game and win of the season.

Webb had plenty of help from her offense who scored seven runs from 12 hits. Six different Patriots recorded a hit. For the fifth game this season UC got the bats going in the first inning, this time from a bunt by Sickau. Wood was on third base and outraced the throw home to tie the game.

UC kept the offense going in the third scoring off another ball that did not leave the infield. Corinne Haverland singled to the pitcher with a laser line drive. The pitcher knocked it down but could not throw out Haverland at first or Katie Cheeseman at home.

Cumberlands recorded their most hits in the fourth inning with three. The hits came from Wood, Emily Jasper, and Sickau.  The RBI came from Sickau's bat who doubled up the middle to score Wood from second base.

Madison Huber earned herself a double in the bottom of the fifth to jump start the UC bats. Huber would advance to third from a groundout and then score off a wild pitch to extend the lead to three.

Eight UC hitters entered the batter's box in the sixth inning with three of them crossing the plate as runs. Wood became the second Patriot to hit a home run this season, the first of her young career. The freshman sent the ball over the center field fence on the first pitch of the at bat.

Jasper became the second batter to score for UC in the inning, hers came off of a teammate's groundout to third. Huber picked up another hit with a single to shallow left field. The junior's third hit of the contest would also score Sickau all the way from second base.

The Cumberlands defense closed out the game retiring the side in order.
 
GAME TWO: CUMBERLANDS DEFEATS WEBBER, 5-4
Heading into the seventh inning UC was down 4-3. Their defense took care of business in the seventh for the fourth time this weekend, retiring the side in order.

The Patriots had the top of the order up for the final inning needing a rally to at least tie the game. Wood and Jasper came through with back-to-back singles to start the inning.  With one out, Acacia Gray entered the game as a pinch hitter. Stepping to the plate with confidence the sophomore sent a screamer to deep left. Wood scored with ease to tie the game and Jasper was waved around to score right behind her. The throw at the plate forced Jasper to slide, but the speedy Georgetown, KY native crossed the plate before the outstretched catcher could apply the tag ending the game in walk-off fashion.

Kaitlin White threw a complete game striking out six batters and only giving up one walk. The right-hander was the definition of efficient only pitching 95 times to 28 batters.  All the runs were unearned improving her ERA to 2.77.

UC started the game scoring a run in each of the first three innings. Sickau picked up her first home run of the year in the first inning after fouling off pitch after pitch until she sent the ball over the fence.

Huber singled in the third inning and was moved over to third base off a hit from Tori Malone. Huber eventually scored off a wild pitch. UC would then go three scoreless innings until their comeback seventh inning rally.

With the win, UC was able to hadn Webber their first loss of the season. Webber came into the game a perfect 7-0.

The pair of wins gives the Patriots their first back-to-back victories of the season and improve their record to 4-4. Cumberlands will look to build off the success from today and finish day three of the Bear Creek Tournament with two more wins.

The team will be back in action for a pair of games against two teams receiving votes. They will face Lawrence Tech at 12 PM and then play Rio Grande at 2 PM.

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