BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- No one in the No. 8-seed University of Pikeville dugout was ready for the season to come to an end.
After going through a tough-luck regular season with no wins in Mid-South Conference play, the Bears came alive in the MSC Championship, following up a first-round loss with two shutout wins in the loser's bracket.
After upsetting No. 4-seed Georgetown on the opening day of the tournament, Friday started out with a 7-0 win over Shawnee State (Ohio) to extend the Bears' stay in Bowling Green for a few more hours.
Waiting on UPIKE in the nightcap was a meeting with second-seeded St. Catharine in its third straight elimination game. The Bears had a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning, but St. Catharine took advantage of some pitching mistakes and scored five runs to go on its way to an 8-4 win.
Still, the Bears put on quite a show at the tournament.
They forgot about their 0-19 record against league teams from the regular season and had some fun in sending home the fourth and seventh seeded programs. And after tallying just one shutout through 42 games, UPIKE was able to regain its focus and tally two back-to-back at the conference tournament.
UPIKE wraps up the 2015 season with a 17-28 overall record.
UPIKE 7, Shawnee State 0
UPIKE's Josh Bailey and Logan Sales combined for a two-hit shutout in the 7-0 win over Shawnee State at Bowling Green Ballpark.
Bailey allowed just one hit while striking out three to pick up the win. Sales closed the game, recording the final six outs while giving up one hit and striking out four.
While Bailey and Sales did their work on the bump, they had plenty of offensive support as well.
Catcher Cody Chagnon and first baseman Nicolas Gonzales both provided RBI hits in the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie.
UPIKE put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh en route to the 7-0 win.
Right fielder Eric Tucker ended the game 2 for 4 with a run and a game-high three RBIs. Chagnon and shortstop Jacob DiThomas finished with two hits each.
St. Catharine 8, UPIKE 4
St. Catharine overcame a four-run deficit to beat UPIKE and advance to play fifth-seeded Cumberland (Tenn.) in another elimination game at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday. Second-seeded Lindsey Wilson awaits the winner in the championship round.
UPIKE surged into the lead with a run in the second and third innings, followed by a two-run home run from Bailey in the fifth to make it 4-0.
St. Catharine started its comeback in the home half of the fifth. The Patriots used four hits and three free passes to score five times and take a 5-4 lead.
The Patriots added runs in each of its last three at-bats to ultimately take the 8-4 win over the Bears.
Bryce Carden started on the mound for the Bears are scattered 10 hits for five runs with two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings before three relievers combined to close the game. Bailey, Gonzales and third baseman Erik Manning paced the offense with two hits each.
