Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio – Erik Manning finished the day with a pair of doubles and three runs scored on three hits, but it wasn't enough to overcome a hot Shawnee State (Ohio) offense as the University of Pikeville baseball team lost 11-4 and 5-1 on Saturday in the final two games of the weekend series.

With the loss, UPIKE drops to 21-27 overall and 6-17 in the Mid-South Conference, while SSU improves to 28-21 and 14-9 in league play. Pikeville has work to do to possibly make the MSC Tournament and it starts with needing a sweep in the final conference series of the season next weekend against Georgetown (Ky.) at home.

The top eight teams in the 10-member league qualify for the conference tournament and UPIKE is currently ninth and two games behind eighth-place Cumberlands (Ky.).

Game one felt like it was a good opportunity for Pikeville to even the series with SSU as it led 2-1 heading into the sixth inning. While starting pitcher Zak Sutherland was cruising along for the first five innings, things eventually went south in the sixth as Shawnee State picked up two singles and a pair of walks on its way to a game-changing five runs.

Suddenly down 6-2, Pikeville saw the game further slip away as the home-standing Bears added five insurance runs over the next two innings. All Pikeville could come up with was an RBI single from catcher Cody Chagnon in the eighth and another RBI single from left fielder Zach Nothwehr in the ninth to come up with the final seven-run margin.

Sutherland (5-3) took the loss after scattering six hits for 10 runs, seven earned, with two strikeouts. Starter Zak Esposito (5-3) took the win after allowing four runs on nine hits with nine strikeouts in 8-2/3 innings.

There was no early lead for Pikeville in game two, as instead Shawnee State put five unanswered runs on the board in the first three innings. UPIKE tallied its only run of the game in the fourth inning as catcher Sean Ryan roped a single to left-center that scored Manning. The third baseman had doubled with one out and moved to third on a single by shortstop Chaz Contreras.

Manning run would be the last of the game for either team as SSU used its early rally to seal the sweep. Corey Gilligan (3-6) took the loss after allowing five runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts in a complete six innings. Cody Strayer went the distance as well for SSU, improving to 4-6 overall after allowing the single run on eight hits with four strikeouts.

Pikeville's series with Georgetown gets started at 2 p.m. ET on Friday at Johnnie LeMaster Field.
 

 
Shawnee State (Ohio) 11, UPIKE 4
Erik Manning: 2-4, 2B, 2 R
Cody Chagnon: 2-4, 2 RBIs, 2B
Chaz Contreras: 1-4, RBI, SB

 
Shawnee State (Ohio) 5, UPIKE 1
Brad Andrews: 2-4
Sean Ryan: 1-3, RBI
Erik Manning: 1-3, 2B, R