Williamsburg, KY – In the first doubleheader of the series between Thomas More and Cuumberlands, each team took a game. After losing game one 5-4, the Patriots offense exploded to win 8-0 in five innings.

Acacia Gray had one of the best days of her career, hitting .750 with five RBIs off two doubles and a triple which marks the first three bagger as a Patriot and pushed her slugging percentage to 1.750. Also knocking in a triple was Hailey Wood who went 3-7 with 2 RBIs and two stolen bases. Madison Huber, Meryn Livingston and Katie Cheeseman all had multi-hits between the games which brought across runs for the Patriots.

Both Kaiti White and Talli Burgess pitched complete games for Cumberlands. They combined for ten strikeouts and held the Saints to just two earned runs.

GAME ONE: PATRIOTS FALL TO SAINTS, 5-4
Thomas More opened up the scoring in the top of the second inning, picking up two runs off four hits all with two outs. The Saints almost scored another run, but Emily Jasper threw the ball from left field on a perfect line to Livingston at homw for the final out of the frame. White then blanked the Saints for three innings including a three up, three down inning in the fourth.

The Patriots took the lead in the bottom half of the fourth. Cheeseman led things off with a line drive single to center field. Back-to-back singles from Emily Bryant and Livingston helped push a run across. A fielder's choice tied the game up at 2-2. Gray sent a ball that hit the left field fence where she raced around the field for the RBI triple making the score 3-2.

After getting no hits in the fifth inning, the Saints plated three runs off two hits and an error including a two-run home run in the sixth frame. All of the runs once again came after two outs to give the Saints the 5-3 lead.

The sixth inning would also be the time when the Patriots got another run, shrinking the deficit. Huber sparked the offense with an infield single she legged out with her speed. Gray sent another deep shot to left field scoring Huber easily to make the score 5-4. Both teams were blanked in the final inning to give Thomas More the win to open the series.

GAME TWO: CUMBERLANDS RUN-RULES THOMAS MORE, 8-0 (FIVE INNINGS)
In the second inning, with two of her teammates on the base paths, Wood launched a ball to left field that earned her team best, fourth triple of the season.

The two-run lead sparked the defense as well. Burgess struckout the first two batters and the third was retired after Huber's diving play in center field, robbing the Saints' hitter of a base hit.

The Patriots bats erupted in the fourth inning, Wood got a bunt single and then scored from third off a fielder's choice. Back-to-back walks to Maddie Sickau and Bryant restarted the offense followed by a single from Livingston to load the bases. Gray was once again the hitter that came through in the clutch, doubling to right-center field clearing the bases. Huber made it back-to-back doubles scoring Gray to make the score 7-0.

Burgess locked down the Saints' bats, limiting them to just two hits and striking out six batters. This marks the third consecutive game that Burgess has struckout at least five in a contest.

The UC offense made sure Burgess only had to pitch five innings, picking up the eighth run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Wood singled to short, stole second base and then advanced to third from a passed ball. Cheeseman hit the ball in the infield and Wood used her speed to race home and slide in safe for the 8-0 run rule victory.

UC now has three run-rule wins in Mid-South Conference play. The split gives the Patriots a 31-13 record on the year with a 12-8 conference record.

Cumberlands and Thomas More will wrap their series up on Sunday for the final two games. The third game is scheduled for a 1 PM start on Sunday April 11. Live stats can be found here and live video on the UCSN can be found here.

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