Oneida, TN – For the second straight season, UC went undefeated at the Bear Creek Tournament, this year going 6-0 over the three days. On the final day of action, Cumberlands won two more, first 8-3 over Cleary and the 7-4 over (RV) Rio Grande.

Homerun power led the day for UC, who had four from four different hitters, Meryn Livingston and Sarah West blasted theirs in game one while Maddie Sickau and Paxton Hoop hit the long ball in the second game. Hoop led everyone in RBI from her grand slam shot, followed by Livingston and Sickau with three each. The day was a collective team effort at the plate with 23 hits for the Pats, nine of which were for extra bases.

While the offense was rolling, the pitching staff, excelled as well giving up just three earned runs in their 14 innings of work. Kaci Goedde closed out both games, earning the win in game two for her second of the season. Kaiti White and Morgan Radford got the starts and combined for five K's, while Talli Burgess provided middle relief in game two, striking out three.
 
GAME ONE: PATRIOTS DEFEAT THE COUGARS, 8-3
White opened the day with a pair of strikeouts in the first frame and then got a three up, three down inning on defense in the second before the UC bats got going.

Livingston led off the second with her fifth double of the weekend. With two away, West hit her first homerun of the season to left field giving UC the 2-0 lead.

An inning later, Katie Cheeseman picked up a leadoff single. Then Sickau and Emily Bryant hit back-to-back doubles. Bryant's brought around Cheeseman and put her and Sickau at the corners. Livingston followed it up with a three-run shot to left center field, her first four bagger of the season, putting Cumberlands ahead 6-0.

In the fourth, a 5-4-3 double play and another strikeout for White, blanked the Cougars again and transitioned UC to another successful offensive inning. Emily Jasper singled to start the inning. Cheeseman utilized the sac bunt to move her over and Jasper's speed allowed her to get all the way to third base. The next batter was Sickau who singled through the left side, scoring Jasper easily, extending the lead to 7-0.

A leadoff walk, two errors from UC's defense, and a hit pushed across a pair of runs for the Cougars in the fifth inning to make the score 7-2. But Cumberlands had an answer of their own, getting a run back. Mackenzie Pawlak got aboard from an error then moved to second from a base hit off West. Pawlak picked up her second stolen base of the season, swiping third and an infield single from Jasper scored Pawlak for the 8-2 score.

The Cougars got their final run in the seventh off a homerun to centerfield. That brought Goedde into the game, where she struckout the first batter she saw and retired two more to finish the game at 8-3.
 
GAME TWO: PATRIOTS COMEBACK OVER (RV) RED STORM, 7-4
Rio Grande scored first, rattling off four hits to conjure up one run. Radford got the final out of the inning with a strikeout, leaving the bases loaded.

Cumberlands' offense once again rose to the occasion and found an answer. Jasper got on second from an error and then stole third for her 10^th stolen base of the season. Next, Sickau smacked the ball off the left field foul pole for her first homerun of the season, making the score 2-1 in favor of the Pats.

The Red Storm tied the game up at two in the third, off a double and single. They threatened again in the fourth, putting Burgess in the game where she fanned the first batter she saw. The fifth inning had the lead go to Rio Grande utilizing a double, walk, and single to put UC behind once again, this time 3-2. It then extended in the sixth to 4-2 off a hit and UC error.

Needing to manifest runs, Sickau and Bryant got on from an error and walk respectively. Then Livingston singled to center field, loading the bases. Hoop knocked her first ball out of the park as a Patriot for a no doubt grand slam, to give UC the 6-4 lead late in the game. Jasper added one more run for good measure off a sacrifice fly.

With the 7-4 lead in the seventh inning, Goedde sat the Red Storm down in order, earning her the win in the circle.

On the weekend, multiple Patriots put up big numbers. UC hit and outscored their opponents 57-34 and 45-14 respectively. Livingston led everyone with 17 total bases off nine hits with six being extra base hits. Five hitters batted .400 and over, led by Sickau's .500 batting average with five extra base hits. The pitching staff gave up just nine earned runs while striking out 28 and only walking 12 for an ERA of 1.50. Whelan led everyone with eight K's and an ERA of 0.00.

Cumberlands has another tournament up next as they travel to Columbus, GA for the three-day NFCA Leadoff starting February 25. Day one will have UC taking on (RV) Truett McConnell and #16 William Carey at 11AM and 1PM respectively. The games will be livestreamed here.

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