Ave Maria, FL - The UC softball team rounded out their eight game Florida road trip with a double header against Ave Maria. In both games, Ave Maria got out to an early lead, but the Patriots battled back in the final innings. However, the late inning rallies were not enough and Ave Maria won both contests, 4-2 and 5-4.

Kaci Goedde commanded the circle today and was the only pitcher to see innings in both games. The freshman limited the Ave offense to just two earned runs over the course of seven innings. Goedde set the tone early striking out the very first batter she faced in game one.

For the second straight day, Tori Malone led the team in hits and RBIs. The Coalfield, TN native went 3-7 on the day and got the only RBIs for the Patriots in game one, knocking in two runners.

Corinne Haverland and Madison Huber each had a pair of hits across both games and picked up an RBI each. Their RBIs came at pivotal times, in the seventh inning and eighth inning to keep Cumberlands alive at the plate and in the game.

GAME ONE: CUMBERLANDS FALLS TO AVE MARIA, 4-2
Making her eleventh appearance in the circle, Kaitlin White was once again pitching lights out for UC. The freshman gave up just three earned runs keeping her season ERA at a team best, 2.57. In this contest, White pitched three innings, but for the season no matter how many innings she has pitched she has never given up more than three runs a game.

Ave Maria plated four runs through the fist four innings while UC got the bats going, but could not get anyone across stranding a runner in every inning. Hailey Wood was able to swipe her tenth stolen base of the season in the top of the first.

When Goedde entered the game in the fourth inning she shut down the Ave offense only surrendering two hits giving the Patriots a chance to get back in the game.

UC was finally able to string together hits in the sixth inning. When Malone stepped into the box the bases were full of her teammates, having gotten on from a fielder's choice a single from Huber and a walk. Malone swung at the first pitch she saw sending the ball to left center field. Meryn Livingston and Huber raced across home to cut the deficit down to just two runs. UC would end the inning with two runners on base.

Cumberlands was unable score anymore runs even with Maddie Sickau getting on base in the seventh from a single to left field.


GAME TWO: CUMBERLANDS FALLS TO AVE MARIA, 5-4 (9 INNINGS)

Goedde got the start in game two and picked up where she left off, giving up no hits to Ave until the third inning. That same inning Ave took the lead, going up 2-0.

After going hitless for three innings Livingston broke it up with a single to left field. In the bottom of the inning Paige Parker entered the game striking out the first thee batters she saw. Parker gave up just two hits and one run going into the seventh inning, which is right when the Patriot bats came to life.

Livingston picked up her second hit of the game after leading off with a single to left field. Taylor Green entered the game for Livingston and she was moved over to second base off a single from Haverland. Pinch hitter, Becca Riley kept the hits going with an infield single to load the bases, the fist hit of her career. Katie Cheeseman followed that up with a ball that dropped out of the center fielder's glove. The error was enough to score two runs, tying the game up at 3 a piece.

Parker shut down the Ave offense to send the game to extra innings, the first extra innings game of the season for UC.

The game forced the international tiebreaker to be in place, putting Acacia Gray on second to start the eighth. The Patriots would be able to score Gray off the bat of Haverland who got her second single of the day. Ave also scored a run in the eighth so the game was forced to a ninth inning.

The Cumberlands offense cooled off in the ninth getting Huber to third base from a passed ball, but never recording a hit in the inning. Ave seized the chance to win the game advancing their runner to third base and then scoring her off a squeeze bunt to win 5-4.

The Patriots racked up eight hits in the game, the most on their road trip to Florida and the most since they hit 17 against Rio Grande on February 23.

UP NEXT
Cumberlands will start Mid-South Conference play against #13 Campbellsville later this week. The teams will square off with two days of doubleheaders starting at 2 PM on March 13. Live stats for the games can be found here and live video can be found here.

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