Williamsburg, KY – For the third year in a row the Patriots won the NAIA Opening Round to advance to the NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, GA. Cumberlands defeated Texas A&M Texarkana 9-8 on a walk-off sac-fly from Emma McDonald in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn a spot at the world series.
 
Amber Gainer mas massive for Cumberlands in the leadoff spot going 3-5 with 4 RBI, 2 R, 3 SB while scoring the game-winning run. Aniyah White added a hit with two RBIs while Emma McDonald and Bailey Turnbow recorded two hits each.
 
Lindsey Shope earned the win for her 23^rd of the year. She got the start, then came back in the sixth and pitched the final three innings to earn the victory. Jessica Cord pitched 2.2 innings of relief followed by an inning from Cassidy Gentry as well.
 
Shope sat the Eagles down one, two, three in the first to give her team a chance to take an early lead. A. Gainer led off with a single up the middle and moved to third after a stolen base and a wild pitch. This allowed Wilkins to deliver a sacrifice fly to center field to give UC the 1-0 lead after one.
 
The Eagles responded in the second with a pair of runs. They loaded the bases and earned a free pass to score one before the Pats called on Cord in relief. After an RBI single from TAMUT, Carly Oliver made a huge leaping catch and doubled up the runner at first to get out of the bases loaded jam.
 
In the bottom of the second, Marquila Howell started a two out rally with a walk and steal of second. A. Gainer then picked up her second hit of the day with a single to left field to score Howell as the game evened up at 2-2.
 
Three straight grounders to Jade Gainer at third made quick work of the Eagles in the third. The bottom half saw Turnbow reach on an error and steal second before advancing to third off an infield single from J. Gainer. With runners on the corners and one out, Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Aniyah White then roped a single up the middle to score two and give UC a two-run lead.
 
TAMUT answered right back with two more runs in the fourth to tie the game once again, then stranded Patriot runners on second and third in the bottom half to swing momentum in their favor. McDonald led off the bottom of the inning with a double followed by a four-pitch walk to Oliver. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but the Eagle pitcher fielded a shot from J. Gainer right back at her to get out of the jam.
 
Cassidy Gentry entered the circle for Cumberlands in the fifth inning with an opposing runner on first. TAMUT then scratched two runs across to take the lead, but not for long as UC came right back with a four-run fifth to reclaim the lead. Johnson reached on an error to start the rally before White was hit by a pitch. Howell then singled to center field to load the bases for Amber Gainer who launched a bases clearing double over the center fielder's head to put UC back on top. A single from Oliver and a Maliyah Wilkins base on balls loaded the bases again for Turnbow, who singled to right to score Oliver to make it 8-6 UC.
 
The Eagles kept fighting, scoring two more runs in the sixth inning to make things all square once again heading into the seventh. Shope re-entered the circle and struck out one batter while earning a pair of groundouts in the seventh to keep the score tied at eight apiece.
 
After a scoreless bottom of the seventh, Shope came back out to the circle in extras. She struck out the leadoff batter but then allowed two singles to put two runners on with two outs. Shope buckled down and got a line drive to second where Oliver showcased her leather once again to get the Pats out of the inning. UC threatened at the plate after Turnbow singled, and J. Gainer walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. However, the Eagles forced a pop up on a bunt where they turned two, then recorded the final out of the inning as pinch hitter Ryann Livingston lined one right at the short stop.
 
The ninth saw TAMUT go three-up-three-down as a pair of infield pop ups and a flyout to left field got the Pats back in the dugout quickly. With one out in the bottom of the frame, A. Gainer was hit by a pitch and then stole second and third to put the winning run 60 feet away. Emma McDonald then came through in the clutch, sending a fly ball to center field, allowing the speedy Gainer to tag up and score the winning run to send her team to the NAIA Softball World Series.
 
Cumberlands will now look ahead to Columbus, GA where they will battle for the red banner. The Pats have a chance to earn the number one overall seed in the tourney, as neither team ranked ahead of UC in the final ratings won their opening round bracket. Games will begin on Thursday May 22^nd, with the top seed earning a bye until Friday the 23^rd.
 
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