Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The University of Pikeville softball team was swept in its second straight Mid-South Conference doubleheader at Rio Grande (Ohio) on Saturday, losing by narrow 3-1 and 4-3 margins. For the Bears, it was their 13th and 14th losses of the season by two runs or less as it continues to fight for a spot in the postseason.

With only the top eight teams in the 10-member league qualifying for the conference tournament, UPIKE has some work to do. It is currently ninth, but just one game behind both Cumberlands (Ky.) and St. Catharine (Ky.) with a week left in the regular season.

The Bears (13-26, 9-21 MSC) are back in action at 1 p.m. ET on Friday against Campbellsville (Ky.), followed by a doubleheader against St. Catharine at the same time on Saturday. All four games will be played at home.

Neither team tallied an extra-base hit in the opener on Friday at Rio Grande, instead the RedStorm (26-13, 18-10 MSC) strung together three singles in the second inning to score two runs and added one more in the fifth after a walk and stolen base put them in scoring position.

Down 3-0 in the sixth inning, UPIKE scored its lone run of the game on a fielder's choice hit by first baseman Courtney Morgan to bring home centerfielder Brandi Jo Howard who had led off the frame with a walk.

Sydney Morris (9-13) took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in a complete six innings with three strikeouts and three free passes. Jenna Jones (14-9) scattered just three hits for a run with three strikeouts to earn the win for the RedStorm.

The bats got going for both teams in game two as the Bears outhit Rio Grande 11-10, but they couldn't score after the fourth inning, allowing second baseman Alex Kuhn to hit a game-winning single for the RedStorm in the seventh.

Second baseman Emily Castle had a big day for the Bears in the loss, going 4-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Shortstop Taylor Weeks was big as well, going 2-for-4 with an RBI triple, stolen base and run scored.

Morris was in the circle again for 3-2/3 innings before handing the game over to Miranda Owens with the score knotted at 3-3. Owens (2-3) allowed just four hits in three innings, but walked two batters and threw a wild pitch with two outs in the seventh inning to set up Kuhn's walk-off hit.

UPIKE was ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning after Castle singled and later score on a wild pitch in the top half of the frame. But the RedStorm got even with two runs on three hits, including a leadoff double by Jenna Jones and a two-RBI single from first baseman Kari Jenkins.

The Bears had their chance in the seventh inning as Morgan and Sara Browning drew walks, combined with a Castle single to load the bases with just one out. Jones took over pitching duties for the RedStorm and got a strikeout and fly out in foul territory to end the threat.

Owens kept the first two outs of the bottom half in the infield with rollers to herself and Weeks at short, but then two straight batters were walked and both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Kuhn's hit went to right center field, deep enough to bring home Jones for the win.

Jones also picked up the win in the circle, improving to 15-9 after not allowing a hit while tallying the last two outs of the seventh inning.