Williamsburg, KY – Two weeks since UC was in Mid-South Conference action, the Patriots picked up right where they left off, with a pair of wins over Shawnee State. In game one, Cumberlands recorded their sixth shutout of the season, winning 2-0 and then the offense exploded in game two for an 8-2 victory.

UC's offense was powered by extra base hits on the day combining for eight across the two games. Tori Malone notched her first home run of the season and also roped a double. Mackenzie Pawlak got her first triple as a Patriot and also recorded a double, both in game two. Meryn Livingston, Paxton Hoop, Emily Jasper and Emily Bryant also all got doubles in the games.

Talli Burgess was just three K's away from 150 entering the day and she recorded four, to become the first Patriot to earn the mark since Sydney Pennycuff (2019). Burgess earned a win and a save on the day pitching 3.2 innings combined, giving up just one run, two hits and striking out four hitters. Kaiti White got the game one win, in her 5.1 innings of work, not surrendering a run with four strikeouts and three hits. Morgan Radford and Kaci Goedde each gave up one run in game two, while limiting the Bears' hitters to just six hits.

GAME ONE: CUMBERLANDS SHUTS OUT SHAWNEE STATE, 2-0
The Patriots' bats looked to be off to a hot start getting runners to third in the opening two innings, but both times they stranded the runners. Meanwhile through the first two innings on defense, White recorded three strikeouts. The Bears did appear to take the lead in the second off a double to right field, but Pawlak picked the ball up off the wall, fired to Katie Cheeseman, who relayed it to Livingston at the plate, tagging the runner before she crossed home plate keeping the game at 0-0.

UC did get their first run of the game in the fifth frame, with their leadoff batter, Malone. She sailed the ball over the left center field fence, hitting her first home run of the season and making the score 1-0.

The Bears tried to answer back in the sixth getting a hit, but Burgess entered the contest and got the final out of the inning via strikeout for no damage on the scoreboard.

Cumberlands doubled their lead in the bottom of the sixth, led by Maddie Sickau getting aboard off an error. The next batter in Bryant sent the ball down the left field line for a double, allowing Sickau to score and making the lead 2-0 in favor of UC.

A one, two, three inning in the seventh capped by a Burgess strikeout gave UC the win, marking the fourth straight MSC series the Patriots have started with a victory.

GAME TWO: PATRIOTS DEFEAT THE BEARS, 8-2
The Patriots once again got their offense going early, this time they got a run to show for it. Hailey Wood led off with a single to the right side and then stole second. The stolen base marked the 50^th of the season for UC, best in the MSC. The next batter struck out swinging and Wood stole third. The Bears' catcher threw to first to get the batter, but heads up base running from Wood allowed her to score, for the 1-0 UC advantage.

After giving up a walk and a single in the second, Radford was lights out in the circle. She struckout the final two batters in the inning and then led off the next frame with two K's making four straight hitters she retired on strikes.

In the bottom of the third, UC stretched their lead to 2-0, this time off the bats of Pawlak and Wood. Pawlak stroked the ball to right center and hustled around the bases to have a triple. Wood was the next batter and she flew out to right field for the sacrifice hit, scoring Pawlak.

In the fourth inning, off a pair of hits, Shawnee State cut the lead to 2-1. Then in the sixth the Bears tallied another run, to tie up the game at two.

Then the Patriots followed it with one of their biggest offensive innings of the season, putting up six runs. Wood led the inning off with a walk and then Jasper got on from a fielder's choice to put runners at first and second. Sickau tried to bunt them over, but the Bears had a throwing error that allowed Wood and Jasper to score and put Sickau at third. Bryant followed it up with a sac fly to left field for the 5-2, UC lead. Livingston then earned a walk and Taylor Green came on to run for her. Hoop brought Green around to score in one swing of the bat with a RBI double to left center. Kaysee Dale entered the game as a pinch runner for Hoop and she was scored off a double from Malone. Then, marking the third straight RBI double, Pawlak traded places with Malone off her double to left field for the 8-2 lead heading into the final inning.

Burgess put Shawnee State down in order for her fifth win of the season and for UC, they are now 21-10 with an 8-4 MSC record. This marks the third straight complete season that the Patriots have garnered 20 wins, all under Head Coach Bailey Dillender.

The two teams will finish their series, tomorrow, Saturday March 26 for a doubleheader starting at 12PM ET. For both contests, live video can be found here and live stats here.

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