PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville softball team cruised against Miami-Hamilton on Friday, winning 8-0 in five innings in the opener before winning 11-0 in five as well in the nightcap at Paul Butcher Field.
With the sweep, the Bears improve to 8-6 on the season, while the Harriers drop to 0-6.
GAME ONE – UPIKE 8, Miami-Hamilton 0
The Bears scored early and kept adding consistent runs on the way to the run-rule shortened win.
Including a two-run blast by Kelsey White with two outs, UPIKE went up 4-0 in the first inning. In the next frame, it added an RBI single by Kitty Raymond, followed by a leadoff, solo home run by Megan Claypoole to make it 6-0 through three innings.
With Hannah Skaggs keeping Miami-Hamilton's bats quiet from the circle, the Bears finished out the win with RBI singles by Jadyn Gibson Haley Osborne to get to the required eight-run lead.
UPIKE outhit the Harriers 13-2 as Skaggs struck out four with no walks in a full five innings of work.
Brandi Garcia scattered 13 hits for eight runs with just one strikeout.
Raymond, Lee Collier, Claypoole, Emme Barker and Hannah Absher all had two hits each to lead the Bears.
GAME TWO – UPIKE 11, Miami-Hamilton 0 (5 inn.)
The Harriers were held scoreless on the day as Claypoole picked up right where Skaggs left off, allowing just three hits and striking out six batters with two walks to record the complete-game shutout.
Garcia took to the circle again, but couldn't slow down the UPIKE bats as it outhit Hamilton 9-3 overall. Garcia lasted just 1 1/3 innings in the loss, giving up six runs on six hits with just one strikeout.
UPIKE got the win done with two big innings, scoring six runs in the second inning and five more in the fourth to bring the game to an early close.
The Bears' six runs in the second were scored on five hits, but the biggest play in the frame was Collier hitting into an error at third that resulted in two runs coming home. Chandler Kelly finished off the frame with an RBI single.
The five-run fourth happened on just two hits and an error. Ashley Goines came in off the bench and hit an RBI single and later score on a sac fly Kendra Gannon to get to the final 11-0 score.
Gibson and Kelly paced the Bears at the plate with two hits each, while White hit the only extra-base hit in the game with a triple.
UP NEXT
UPIKE heads to Myrtle Beach for a spring break trip next week and will open up against Shaw (N.C.) for a doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. ET on Monday.
-UPIKE-
