COLUMBIA, Ky. -- The University of Pikeville softball team couldn't slow down No. 6 Lindsey Wilson's early hot bat in game one and faced a career-best day from one of the Mid-South Conference's top pitchers in game two as it lost 13-4 in five innings and 5-0 on Saturday.
The Bears (9-9, 3-5 MSC) and Blue Raiders (21-6, 5-3 MSC) close out the four-game weekend series at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
UPIKE led briefly in the opener after scoring four runs in the second inning to take a 4-2 lead. But Lindsey Wilson fought right back, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the second to go back up 9-4 and never looked back until adding four more scores in the fifth to bring the game to a close.
In the second inning, UPIKE had tied things up at 2-2 on right fielder Haley Jo Patton's two-RBI single down the right-field line, then took a two-run lead when second baseman Sydney Beckelhymer hit an RBI single and left fielder Kayla Brown made it a successful squeeze on a bunt that brought Patton home from third.
But in the bottom of the inning, Lindsey Wilson struck for seven runs on five hits and one Bear error, including a two-run homer from third baseman Abbi Goedde with one out. Needing three runs to go up by eight and bring the game to an early end, catcher Bailey Mize came through in the fifth with a three-RBI double to shallow, left centerfield.
Despite being outhit 13-6, UPIKE got a solid day at the plate from designated player Hollie Hinkle, going a perfect 3 for 3 and scoring a run. Hawley Ill (3-3) took the loss for UPIKE after allowing nine runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings of work.
Casey Bryan improved to 8-2 in the circle for the Blue Raiders after scattering six hits for four runs with six strikeouts in a complete five innings. At the plate, Mize has the best day, collecting two hits and a walk to go along with three RBIs and a double.
Game two was a pitcher's duel for five innings until UPIKE starter Sydney Morris eventually started to get hit, resulting in a scoreless game changing into a 5-0 Lindsey Wilson lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.
While Morris was good, the Blue Raiders' Jordan Hood was a little bit better, throwing a career-high 17 strikeouts to limit UPIKE to just three hits. Hood wasn't perfect, walking four batters and hitting another, but still was able to put up a seven-inning shutout.
Things unraveled for Morris in the sixth inning when Lindsey Wilson reached safely on two straight bunts, setting up right fielder Andrea Whelan to hit a three-run bomb to centerfield. A few batters later, Goedde added another two-run shot and that would be enough for the Blue Raiders to hold on for the win.
Morris left after Goedde's homer, allowing Lauren Barnes to close out the inning. Morris' final line was six strikeouts and three walks with five runs allowed on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Third baseman Breana Pineda had two of the Bears' three hits, including a double.
Left fielder Jenna Firestein was the only Blue Raider with multiple hits, going 2 for 2 with a walk and run scored.Â
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