Williamsburg, KY – After a full day of rain delays, the Patriots come back and win their second game of the NAIA Opening Round Williamsburg Bracket to advance to the championship game. Cumberlands took down Texas A&M Texarkana 5-1 as Lindsey Shope earned her 22^nd win of the year, breaking the program record for wins in a single season.
 
Shope recorded 5 IP, 0 R, 6 H, and 2 K against the Eagles to earn the record-breaking win. Jessica Cord came in relief for the final two innings, securing the victory while allowing just one run off three hits and striking out two.
 
Amber Gainer had a pair of hits for UC today, the most of anyone in the Patriots lineup. Carly Oliver added two RBIs off a double while Emma McDonald added a double and RBI of her own. Jade Gainer batted in a run as well.
 
The Eagles led off the game with a single and stole second to get their first baserunner in scoring position. After earning a pair of groundouts, Shope allowed the second hit of the inning, but came right back with another ground ball to short to strand runners on the corners.
 
Gainer started UC's day at the plat with a double to left field and stole third the next at-bat. McDonald then delivered a sacrifice fly to right to put UC on top after one.
 
After a scoreless second inning, a stellar defensive play from McDonald cut down the Eagle runner trying to tag up from second to keep the Patriots lead at one. Shope earned her second strike out of the day in the top of the fourth, then got a pair of flyouts to keep the game at 1-0 in favor of UC.
 
McDonald came up big for the Pats once again, leading off the bottom of the fourth with a double to right field. She scored one batter later as Oliver lifted one into the gap for an RBI double. After a walk from Maliyah Wilkins, Bailey Turnbow reached on a fielder's choice, moving Oliver to third. J. Gainer then laid down a bunt for a hit, scoring Oliver and growing UC's lead to three after four innings of play.
 
A three-up-three-down top of the fifth gave Cumberlands a chance to increase their lead. Marquila Howell led off the bottom half with a single to short and advanced to second after A. Gainer earned her second hit of the game. After a sac bunt from McDonald moved both runners up 60 feet, Oliver hit a deep fly ball that saw the Eagle outfielders collide, causing the ball to drop to allow Howell and Gainer to score.  Oliver was stranded on third, as the Pats took a 5-0 lead into the sixth inning.
 
After walking the first batter of the sixth, UC called on Jessica Cord out of the pen. A sac bunt gave UC the first out of the inning before another single put runners on first and third. The next batter grounded out to third, as Gainer looked the runner back to keep the Eagles off the board. Cord then earned her first strike out of the game to end the threat and get out of the jam.
 
The Pats threatened in the bottom of the sixth as pinch hitter Ryann Livingston started a two-out rally with a single to left. Howell then reached after an error by the TAMUT shortstop to put a pair of runners on. However, the Pats could not take advantage as the score stated at 5-0 into the seventh.
 
A&M Texarkana led off the top of the seventh with a single to right field before Cord struck out the next batter for the first out of the inning. UC then earned a force out at second after a fielder's choice for out number two. The Eagles responded with a double in the gap to score their first run of the game. The Pats answered right back as Aniyah White made a leaping catch at shortstop to end the game and give her team the 5-1 victory.
 
Cumberlands now sit in the championship game, scheduled for 11 AM tomorrow May 14^th. Mobile and Cornerstone will play the first game of the loser's bracket today with the winner then taking on TAMUT in the final game of Wednesday night. That winner will then advance to the championship where they will take on the Patriots.
 
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