MSC Softball Championship Central
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- After losing to fifth-seeded St. Catharine 6-5 in the first round, the fourth-seeded University of Pikeville softball team bounced back to beat No. 8 Shawnee State (Ohio) 6-3 in an elimination game at the Mid-South Conference Championship on Thursday.
With the win, the Bears (20-18) stay alive in the loser's bracket to face No. 3 Georgetown at 3 p.m. ET on Friday.
Behind the dominant arm of Krystal Cammuse, St. Catharine built a 4-0 lead through four innings of the opener. Commuse left the game in the fifth inning with nine strikeouts and the game seemingly put away, but UPIKE didn't go down quietly.
The Patriots added two more runs in the top of the seventh to lead 6-0, but the Bears went to work in their half of the inning, cutting the deficit to one with five runs. The first UPIKE run scored on a bases-loaded walk and the second hustled home on a wild pitch.
Trailing 6-2 with two outs, the Bears got their biggest hit of the game from second baseman Hollie Hinkle with a three-RBI triple. With the tying run on third, UPIKE nearly completed the comeback, but shortstop Whitney Back grounded out to second to end the threat.
Lauren Barnes (5-7) took the loss after lasting four innings in her start with two strikeouts and two walks while allowing four runs on four hits. Sydney Morris threw the final three frames, allowing two runs on three hits.
Cammuse improved to 8-13 with the win, allowing just two hits with nine strikeouts in four innings.
Hinkle had the hot bat for the Bears in the loss, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs and also drawing a walk.
In the elimination game against Shawnee State, it was UPIKE that jumped in front quickly with two runs in the bottom of the first. Third baseman Breana Pineda drove in the first run with a triple and she came home in the next at bat as Hinkle roped a double.
Shawnee State didn't fold though, instead scoring single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to eventually take a 3-2 lead. The rally woke up the Bears as they came up with two go-ahead runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to hold on for a 6-3 win.
Left fielder Kayla Brown scored the tying run after Pineda bunted for a base hit with Brown on third and catcher Eady Beth Connally put Pikeville up for good by drawing a bases-loaded walk to bring home right fielder Sydney Beckelhymer for the fourth run.
Morris improved to 10-6 in the circle with the win, scattering nine hits for three runs with seven strikeouts, while Alex Bowers (2-12) took the loss after allowing six runs on 11 hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Hinkle had another big game, driving in three runs on two hits, including two doubles, while Brown finished with a game-high three hits and scored twice with a pair of stolen bases. Â Â Â Â
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