BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- The University of Pikeville softball team lost a lead in the seventh inning to lose 6-4 against St. Catharine in its opener, before going on to shut out Shawnee State (Ohio) 2-0 in an elimination game at the Mid-South Conference Tournament on Friday at Michael O. Buchanon Park.

With the win over No. 8-seed SSU, the fourth-seeded Bears (23-28) advance in the loser's bracket to take on No. 2-seed Lindsey Wilson which was upset by No. 6-seed Cumberland (Tenn.). First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET on Saturday.

No. 5 St. Catharine 6, No. 4 UPIKE 4

There wasn't a whole lot of offense in the first six innings between UPIKE and St. Catharine, but a busy final inning made up for it.

Trailing 2-1, the Patriots came alive in the seventh scoring five runs on five hits. A two-run home run by Kelsey Gravens and two-run single by Brittany McKee did the bulk of the damage. Up to that point St. Catharine had managed just five hits through six innings.

UPIKE didn't go down without a fight as Amber Murrell drove in a run with a single and Jordan Gentry drew a bases-loaded walk to get within two runs at 6-4, but a rare 1-2-3 double play brought the game to a close.

Courtney Morgan, who went 3 for 4 with two doubles, had broken open a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with an RBI double, but three hits and two walks with two outs for the Patriots in the seventh inning was too much to overcome.

No. 4 UPIKE 2, No. 8 Shawnee State 0

After a lot of excitement at the end of the Bears' opening game in the tournament, it was a welcome sight to see pitcher Alexandrea Quill shut down the bats of Shawnee State to allow her team to win 2-0.

Quill scattered six hits without allowing a run in seven innings with three strikeouts and two walks. UPIKE played solidly in the field to back up the performance, committing just one error to help hold onto the shutout.

Cassandra Javier and Murrell paced the offense with two hits each, while Javier drove in a run and stole a base. Hollie Hinkle drove in the other run on her only hit, a double in the sixth inning to give Quill some insurance.

While the Bears won the hit battle 8-6, there were just two extra-base knocks in the game, including Hinkle's double and a triple by Shawnee State's Hannah Dittoe.

Javier produced what would go down as the winning run in the second inning when her single to shallow centerfield was enough to allow Breana Pineda to score. Pineda had gotten on base with a one-out single before moving to second on Hinkle's groundout.

Morgan Conrad took the loss in the circle after allowing two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

-UPIKE-