McKenzie, TN – The Patriots outscored the Wildcats 25-3 through two games to take their fourth straight MSC series win of the season. With both wins, Cumberlands move to 28-6 on the year and 11-0 in the Mid-South.
 
Game one saw UC utilize a 12-run third inning to take an eventual 14-2 victory in four innings. Lindsey Shope got the start for UC and earned her 13^th win of the season. Every Patriot recorded a hit in the blowout with Maliyah Wilkins, Jade Gainer, and Marquila Howell finishing with a double while Amber Gainer tripled.
 
The second game featured another dominant showing from both sides as UC's offense tallied 12 hits for 11 runs. In the circle, Jessica Cord moved to 9-2 on the year after securing the win. Wilkins recorded UC's only extra base hit in the contest with a two-run homerun.
 
Big Third Inning Gives UC Run-Rule Victory
After a scoreless first inning, the Pats fell behind 2-0 from a Wildcat homerun in the bottom of the second. UC answered right back in the third, scoring 12 runs to take a commanding lead. Emma McDonald led the third off with a single and moved to second after Carly Oliver was hit by a pitch for the second time. After a sacrifice from Wilkins, Bailey Turnbow recorded the first RBI of the inning. J. Gainer and Aniyah White got on for Howell, who doubled as UC went ahead 5-2. The senior then scored off a batted ball from A. Gainer to scratch another run across.
 
The inning continued back at the top of the lineup as McDonald singled followed by another Oliver HBP. Wilkins then singled to score Gainer and McDonald and move Oliver to second. Turnbow, J. Gainer, and Jules Johnson then earned three straight hits to score four more runs and give UC the 12-2 lead.
 
After another scoreless inning from Shope, UC added two more in the top of the fourth off a double from Wilkins that scored Oliver and McDonald. The bottom half saw Shope strike out one batter and leave one more stranded to keep UC's lead at 12.
 
White singled in the fifth but could not score as the Pats went to the bottom of the fifth looking for a run-rule win. They did just that as Shope stranded runners on the corners to give UC the 14-2 win.
 
UC's Bats Stay Hot to Secure Series Win
Game two started with two scoreless innings on both sides. UC opened the scoring in the third after A. Gainer singled and stole second. She then scored off a single from McDonald to give UC a 1-0 lead. Cord came back out for her third inning of work and shut the Wildcats down once again.
 
UC then had another huge inning, scoring eight more runs. J. Gainer led off getting hit by a pitch and stole second. Amber Atkins drew a walk and had Cloe Smith come in to pinch run. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and scored off a single from Howell. A. Gainer and McDonald received free passes followed by Oliver getting hit by another pitch to load the bases. Wilkins came through once again with a single to score one run. Turnbow followed with a single of her own for another RBI, before Oliver scored off a batted ball from J. Gainer. Atkins drew a bases loaded walk for her second BB of the inning. White got the final RBI of the inning off a sacrifice fly, scoring Kaysee Dale who was pinch running for Turnbow, to give UC the 9-0 lead.
 
Cord gave up her first hit of the game in the fourth but struck a Wildcat batter right after to get out of the inning. Cumberlands added two more runs off a two-run shot from Wilkins, her eight of the year, to put UC ahead by 11 runs. After giving up one run in the bottom of the fifth, the Pats called on Cassidy Gentry out of the bullpen. The freshman closed out the game with a flyout and groundout to give UC their second five-inning run-rule victory of the day.
 
The Patriots will look for the series sweep tomorrow as they take on Bethel in game three at 2 PM ET.
 
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