The Bears will be back in action on Sunday at 2 p.m. when they meet Rio Grande at Paul Butcher Field in Pikeville.  It will be Senior Day for four members of the team.
 
Pikeville posted a pair of runs in the top of the second of the opener. Junior Hannah Vinson reached on an error and moved into scoring position when sophomore Emily Castle doubled to left-center. It appeared the Bears would leave them stranded after consecutive tappers back to the mound, but Sierra Kiser singled to left to score them and make it 2-0.
 
It stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh. Emily Ethington led off with a single and moved to second when Kelsey Robinson walked. Amber Taylor put down a bunt and was safe on an error, with Ashleigh West – running for Ethington – scoring on the play to make it 2-1.
 
Robinson scored when Mary Ann Warford singled to center to tie the game. Pikeville walked Julie Jarboe to load the bases, and the game ended when Taylor scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Miranda Drury.
 
Pikeville managed only four hits. Castle and Kiser had them in the scoring inning, while junior Kayla Morgan and senior Mallory George added singles.
 
Morgan went the distance for the Bears, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out three.
 
The nightcap saw the Bears pound out 13 hits and score in three multiple-run innings to cruise to the win.
 
UPIKE put up four in the top of the first, and after seeing the Eagles pull within one in the third, scored six in the fifth and two in the sixth on a home run by Castle for the win.
 
Vinson and freshman Brandi Jo Howard had three hits each. Both doubled; Howard drove in three and scored one, while Vinson scored three times and delivered one. Morgan had two hits and scored twice, while Sarah Kinney doubled and Kiser, freshman Shamy Williams and senior Ashleigh Stanley singled.
 
Castle finished with three RBIs while Kinney drove in two.
 
Sophomore Caitlin Conley scattered eight hits in six innings of work to get the win.
 
-UPIKE-