Williamsburg, KY – UC kickstarted their first Mid-South Conference home games against UT-Southern on Friday. The teams played a pair of contests with UC taking game one 4-2 and UTS winning game two by a score of 6-3.

Talli Burgess had her best game of the season, in 5.1 innings of relief work she gave up just one hit and struckout seven for a season best, and just two shy of her career high. Burgess gave up no runs in her efforts and came in for Kaiti White who went 1.2 innings giving up just three hits, two runs and striking out one. For game two, Morgan Radford, Abby Whelan and Kaci Goedde combined in the contest for six runs off eight hits and striking out three. In her two innings of work, Goedde did not surrender a hit or a run, and her only base runner came from a walk.

Offensively, Emily Byrant led the team in RBI with three, hitting her second homerun in three games. Meryn Livingston led the team in hits with three, going perfect at the plate in game one. Katie Cheeseman also tallied two RBI, as one of three UC hitters to get a double on the day, along with Maddie Sickau and Hailey Wood.

GAME ONE: #22 CUMBERLANDS RALLIES BACK OVER UT SOUTHERN, 4-2
White started the game with a strikeout and then got the next two batters in order. UC got two runners on base in the first, but could not push any across. Then the Firehawks got their offense going. Starting the second inning with a homerun to right field, giving them the 1-0 lead. They followed it up with two hits and a pair of walks to go ahead 2-0. Burgess entered the frame with the bases loaded, but sent the batter down looking to limit the damage.

After Burgess sent two more hitters down on strikes in the third, UC ignited their offense. The Patriots put up four runs in the bottom of the frame, all from a two out rally. Cheeseman's bat got it going with a double to left field. She then scored off Sickau's double to centerfield to make the score 2-1. Livingston followed that up with a single through the 5-6 hole to put runners on the corners. Next came Bryant, she launched the ball to left center field, to bring in three runners for the 4-2 UC lead.

The third inning was the final frame with a run by either team. Burgess kept the Firehawks' hitters at bay the rest of the game, not surrendering another hit and striking out five more batters. The win put Burgess' record at 2-1 on the season and she now has a team best 30 strikeouts on the year.

GAME TWO: FIREHAWKS DEEAT THE PATRIOTS, 6-3
For game two, it took both offenses awhile to get going, with Paxton Hoop recording the first hit of the contest for either team in the bottom of the second.

UT Southern utilized the third inning to go up 4-0. They had four hits, including two doubles as well as a walk to jump out to the lead. They added another run in the fifth off a single and UC error for the 5-0 advantage.

UC did find their answer in the fifth inning, with the score still at 5-0. Hoop was issued a leadoff walk and Taylor Green entered the game to run for her. Jenna Howell hit a ball through the left side to advance Green to second. The next batter was Wood, who hit a ball to deep center field for the RBI double, putting Howell at third. Cheeseman made sure to bring them both around, lacing the ball back up the middle to draw the score to 5-3.

However, the momentum swung back in favor of the Firehawks wo added one more run in the sixth to go up 6-3. But the Patriots did not go down without a fight. In the seventh. Howell and Emily Jasper got aboard, putting the tying run at the plate with just one out. Unfortunately, UC left them both stranded to lose the game 6-3. The split on the series' opening day gives UC a 13-7 (2-2) record while UTS is 6-6 (1-1).

They will finish up their series at the UC Softball Complex, tomorrow Saturday, March 5 for a doubleheader. Game one starts at 12PM live video for the games available here and live stats here.

Before the series finale with the Blue Raiders, Cumberlands has a weekend series with UT-Southern on March 4-5. The first set of doubleheaders will be at 3/5PM on Friday in Williamsburg, KY. Live video for the games are available here and live stats here.