Lawrenceville, GA – The UC softball team came out firing on all cylinders in the first game of the season at the Grizzly Open. Game one was all Patriots who won via an 8-0 five inning run-rule. The team then led the entire second game until, (RV) Reinhardt won on a walk-off hit in the seventh inning 4-3 to give UC a 1-1 record on the season.

Kaiti White dominated in the circle, giving up just three hits in a five-inning shutout for game one. She also struckout four of the NightHawks, with one of them looking. Katie Cheeseman led all hitters with four hits, including her first career game where she hit two doubles. Cheeseman along with Sarah West each had two of the team's 10 RBI on the day. Abby Whelan and Talli Burgess combined for game two with three strikeouts and three earned runs.

GAME ONE: CUMBERLANDS DEFEATS THOMAS, 8-0 (FIVE INNINGS)
After picking up one strikeout in the first, White sent two hitters down on strikes in the second inning.

The Patriots wasted little time scoring their first run of the season, putting up four in the second inning. Emily Bryant got the inning started with a leadoff single through the left side. Meryn Livingston looked to advance her with the sacrifice bunt, but her perfect placement earned her a bunt single, pushing Bryant to second. The NightHawks tried to get Bryant out, but an errant throw allowed her to score and put Livingston on second. A walk to Mackenzie Pawlak put two runners on for West. She sent a ball to deep right center, for the two RBI double. Emily Jasper got aboard from a single and pushed West to third. Wood followed that up with a fly ball to right field, scoring West for the 4-0 UC lead.

An innning later, after back-to-back singles from Maddie Sickau and Emily Bryant, in stepped Pawlak. She blasted a ball to the left field wall, scoring one run off a double, marking her first career hit in a Patriots uniform. The lead then extended to 5-0.

The fourth inning continued much of the same for UC. White got a batter out on strikes and the offense stayed hot for two more runs. Wood led off the inning with a double to left center. Cheeseman then sent the ball to right field, allowing Wood to score. Now with Cheeseman to second on a passed ball, Bryant picked up her third hit in the game, staying a perfect 3-3 at the plate, singling up the middle. The hit pushed Cheeseman across home for a 7-0 Patriots lead.

A one, two, three inning on defense to start the fifth, ignited the offense to get their final run to end the game. Despite having two outs, Wood once again kickstarted the offense, this time off a triple to left center. Cheeseman took the first pitch she saw, and sent a blooper to left field, allowing Wood to run across home plate sealing the win at 8-0.

GAME TWO: CUMBERLANDS FALLS TO (RV) REINHARDT, 4-3
The Patriots started their bats early once again, picking up their first run in the top of the first inning. Cheeseman hit her first of two doubles in the game and the next hitter in Sickau, singled to right field to score her from second giving UC the 1-0 lead.

The next inning saw two runs off a walk and a pair of hits. Pawlak led the inning with a free pass and got to third from a pass ball and single from West. Jenna Howell hit a ball to the right side of the field, allowing Pawlak to score and have West sitting on third. Jasper laced a ball down the left field line, scoring West and pushing the lead to 3-0.

Unfortunately, the Patriots did not score any more runs in the contest. Reinhardt got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second off an error by UC. They then put up another run in the third inning off a leadoff home run to right field to cut Cumberlands' lead to 3-2.

Burgess entered the circle in the third inning and recorded four innings of shutout work. With no outs and two runners aboard, the Eagles' hitter recorded a double to right field scoring two to give them the 4-3 win.

The Patriots will conclude their time at the Grizzly Open when they face #11 Georgia Gwinnett. The game is slated for a 12:30PM start with live stream available here and live stats here (XML).

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