Williamsburg, KY – After taking the first game of the series against Thomas More, #3 Cumberlands also won the final two games to sweep the series. UC run-ruled the Saints 15-2 (5 innings) in game two and then battled back in the last game for the 4-3 win (8 innings). Cumberlands stays undefeated in Mid-South Conference play at 10-0 while the Saints are now 5-8. The pair of wins today, pushed UC's overall record to 30-3 marking the fourth straight full season that the program has eclipsed 30 wins.

On the day both Makenzie Keatts and Emily Bryant drove in three runs. Keatts recorded four hits in the two games and both Bryant and Keatts notched home runs on the day. Both Maddie Sickau and Meryn Livingston recorded a pair of RBI in the two games.

In the circle, Morgan Radford pitched the entire first game on the day, going just five innings in the run-rule but setting her new season best of eight strikeouts. For her ninth win of the season, she limited the Saints to just three hits, two runs and no walks. For the second game of the day, Kaiti White got the start, going 4.2 innings. She gave up four hits, two runs and struckout a pair. Talli Burgess came in for relief and got her 13th win, pitching 3.1 innings, giving up just one run off one hit. Burgess fanned four batters and no walks.

GAME TWO: CUMBERLANDS RUN-RULES THOMAS MORE, 15-2
The Saints got the early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning, but UC immediately answered back. With one out, Keatts got her first hit of the game, sending the ball back up the middle. The next batter was Bryant who blasted her second home run of the series over the left field wall to tie the game up at 2-2.
 
Radford retired TMU in order in the second inning, then her offense responded in the bottom half with a big inning. The Patriots recorded three straight doubles to start the frame. First Hailey Wood launched hers to left field then both Meryn Livingston and Paxton Hoop got RBI doubles to centerfield for the UC lead. Radford kept the inning going, singling through the left side to put runners at the corners. A walk to Carly Oliver loaded the bases for UC and in stepped Keatts. She sent the ball to left field, scoring Hoop. A walk to Bryant loaded the bases once again and then a walk to Sickau brought in a run. The scoring did not stop there. A ball got by the catcher with Keatts on third, however Keatts stayed at third. The catcher tried throwing to the pitcher covering home but her throw went wild, allowing Keatts to score and all runners to advance a base. Some more heads up base running led to the final run of the inning. Bryant had a lead on third and took off on the catcher's throw back to the pitcher, successfully stealing home to cap the six-running inning and make it 8-2.
 
However, that was not even the biggest inning of the day for Cumberlands, after another three up, three down inning with a Radford K, the offense notched seven runs in the third. Radford helped her own cause with a leadoff single. After Oliver walked, Keatts recorded a single and an error by the Saints brought Radford around for the score and put Oliver on third. Bryant squared around for the bunt, but the Saints tried to throw Oliver out but an errant throw allowed Keatts to score and moved Bryant to second. With two runners on, Mackenzie Pawlak hit the ball in play, scoring Bryant. Wood then got aboard to load the bases for Livingston. She legged out an infield single for the RBI. Two batters later, Radford was back up and singled to drive in another run. Next up was Oliver who hit a fly ball deep enough to score Wood from third to push the score to 15-2.
 
The scored held for the final two innings of the game, and Radford fanned three more batters to secure the win. For Cumberlands the 15 runs are the most they have put up in a single game since 2020.
 
GAME THREE: PATS BATTLE BACK, 4-3
White was rolling in the circle for UC, striking out two in the first three innings. Then her defense helped her out after giving up a hit in the fourth, getting a 6-4-3 double play to eliminate the runner.
 
The Pats offense was slow to start, but got on the board first in the fourth inning. Oliver roped the ball to left field and slid around to third for her second triple of the season. Bryant got on from a walk and then Sickau brought Oliver in off a sac fly to centerfield. Later in the inning Bryant moved to second and then Bailey Turnbow traded places with her for the RBI double, making the lead 2-0.
 
However, the Saints answered back in the fifth inning. A walk and a single with two outs, brought Burgess into the game. But the first batter she faced hit a three-run home run to take the lead. Burgess then answered back with a strikeout to end the frame.
 
In the next two innings, Burgess sent the Saints down in order, but they were still up 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Turnbow led off the inning with a single and when the Saints tried to pick her off at first she successfully took off for second, to be in scoring position. Then a wild pitch moved her to third with just one out. Wood came up clutch, driving the ball through the 5-6 hole allowing Turnbow to score and tying the game at 3-3.
 
This pushed the game to extras, the first extra-inning game of the season for UC. Once again Burgess sent Thomas More down in order including a pair of strikeouts.

With one out on the board and a 1-0 count, Keatts blasted the ball to dead center field for her fifth home run of the year. She walked it off against the Saints, giving UC the win at 4-3 and clinching the series sweep.
 
In the series, Keatts went 7-11 with seven RBI and 13 total bases. Bryant recorded five RBI with nine total bases. As a team UC batted .389 with five doubles, two triples and three home runs. They outscored Thomas More 28-5. In the circle, the pitching staff struckout 24 batters and only gave up 10 hits with just two for extra bases.
 
Cumberlands will return to MSC play when they travel to Campbelllsville, KY to take on the 22nd ranked Tigers. The three game series will start on Friday, April 6 with game one first pitch set for 1PM ET.
 
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