Williamsburg, KY – The seventeenth-ranked University of the Cumberlands softball team opened NAIA Opening Round play with a 5-4 extra-inning win over #2 Saint Xavier (Ill.) on Monday afternoon at the UC Softball Complex. The Patriots, the #3 seed and host of the Williamsburg Bracket, improve to 37-18 overall with the victory.
PATS OUTLAST SAINT XAVIER IN EXTRAS
Cumberlands scored first in the opening inning as Emily Delgado doubled and later came around on an RBI single from MaKenzie Henderson. The Patriots added just one run through the first five innings before trailing 3-1 entering the seventh.
Saint Xavier recorded 11 hits in the contest, including multi-hit efforts from three players, and took a 3-1 lead in the sixth with a two-RBI double.
The Patriots answered in the seventh, plating three runs on four hits to reclaim the lead. Maleah Clinton drove in one run with a single, Grace Ross followed with an RBI single, and Delgado added her second RBI of the game to make it 4-3.
Saint Xavier responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 4-4, sending the contest into extras.
In the ninth, Ross reached and advanced into scoring position before Delgado reached on an error to drive in the go-ahead run. Cumberlands finished with five runs on nine hits, while limiting Saint Xavier to one run over the final three innings.
Ross paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Delgado finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a double. Clinton added one RBI, and the Patriots drew four walks in the game.
In the circle, Jessica Cord earned the win, throwing 6.0 innings of relief, allowing nine hits, three runs (one earned), and three walks. Delgado started and went 3.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits.
UP NEXT
Cumberlands will continue play in the NAIA Opening Round in the winners bracket, facing the winner of #4 Benedictine and #1 Keiser on Tueasday, May 12th at 2:30 PM ET.
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on X - @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, TikTok- @ucpatriots, YouTube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.
