Bowling Green, KY – The #4 Patriots battled against the Lions of Freed-Hardeman University on day two of the MSC Championship Tournament. The Mid-South Conference Tournament is being held at South Warren High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky starting Wednesday, May 1 and running through Sunday, May 5. A pitcher's duel between the two teams resulted in UC falling short, 2-1.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
Morgan Radford was dubbed the start in the circle, holding the Lions to just two hits in the first inning to keep the playing field even. In their first time up, the Patriots were putting the ball deep into the outfield but were unable to muster a base runner. The second inning saw Morgan Radford serve up a pair of groundouts and a fly out to make it a one, two, three inning. The Patriots looked to hit the board first, seeing Amber Atkins record the first hit of the day but were unable to bring her home.

The Lions were persistent at the plate and recorded another hit in the top of the third, but a pitch off the plate saw a Lions batter fly out in foul territory to end the half inning. The bottom half of the inning saw UC continue to put the ball in play, forcing the Lions defense to work hard but it remained scoreless through the third frame. The top of the fourth saw a quick fielding decision from Emily Bryant to get the lead runner and held the Lions to zero runs but were unable to capitalize offensively.

Strong defensive efforts continued to shine as the Lions were held scoreless after the top of the fifth. Bailey Turnbow sparked the fifth with a double to the left centerfield fence, but a pesky Lions defense saw an even playing field going into the top of the sixth. The Lions scored a pair in the top of the sixth off two hits, but reliever Kaitlyn Schofield got Cumberlands out of the situation in hopes of hitting the board. Falling to two outs early, an Amber Gainer double down the left field line showcased her speed and ignited the Pats dugout. Sister Jade Gainer quickly brought her around with a single right back up the middle while advancing to second on the throw. The Pats closed the sixth inning trailing, 2-1.

Pitcher Schofield and UC's defense shut the door on the Lions offense in the top of the seventh with a three-up, three-down inning with a chance to even the score. A disciplined plate approach saw Atkins draw a walk and sparked the momentum in the bottom of the seventh. Turnbow put a ball in play that resulted in a fielder's choice, seeing her reach first safely. Turnbow advanced to second on a wild pitch to place her in scoring position but was ultimately not enough as the Pats fell just short, 2-1.

LEADERS
Leading the way offensively, Jade Gainer was 1-2 at the plate with one RBI while Amber Gainer, Atkins, and Turnbow all recorded one hit apiece.

Cumberlands looks to bounce back on day three of the MSC Championship, Friday, May 4, in Bowling Green, KY at South Warren High School. The Patriots will play at 1:00 p.m. (CST) with their opponent to be determined.

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