GEORGETOWN, Ky. – The University of Pikeville softball team shut out Georgetown 5-0 in game one before erasing a one-run deficit late in game two for a 6-4 win to complete the doubleheader sweep on the road Friday.
This is the first time in program history that Pikeville has won more than one game against Georgetown in a season and is also the first shut out in the series.
Now at 25-17 overall and 9-11 in Mid-South Conference play, the Bears have kept themselves in the hunt for third place in the league standings. Georgetown currently holds that spot at 28-15 overall and 14-10 in the MSC, but UPIKE has up to six conference games left to play.
UPIKE outhit Georgetown a combined 18-12 and got two impressive complete-game performances in the circle.
Hannah Skaggs (11-10) captured the opening win by allowing just five hits and no runs despite registering just one strikeout. Megan Claypoole (12-7) took game two after giving up four runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts.
GAME ONE – UPIKE 5, Georgetown 0
Kitty Raymond hit a two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning to break open a scoreless contest which ended up being enough to give UPIKE the win.
Again, on two outs, Raymond delivered in the seventh with a towering 3-run homer to left field that was just more insurance in a contest that felt like a no doubter by that time with Skaggs keeping the Tigers off balance.
Cassidy Janes went 2 for 3 near the bottom of Georgetown's order, but none of her teammates finished with more than one hit.
Raymond went 3 for 4 to lead the Bears, driving in four runs and scoring one herself along the way. While Raymond accounted for all the RBIs in the game, Emme Barker added a double, Jordan Gentry stayed hot with two hits and Hannah Absher reached safely once and stole a base.
Hannah Morton struck out eight Bear hitters, but ultimately took the loss after allowing the five late runs near the end of a full seven innings of work.
GAME TWO – UPIKE 6, Georgetown 4
UPIKE led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the second when Georgetown brought home one tying run, followed by taking a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third on singles by Corrin Robinson and Abigail James.
But the only other runs scored in the game would be the three tallied by the Bears in the fourth inning.
Looking to replicate a strategy that had worked in the previous frame, Georgetown walked Raymond to put two runners on base with two outs, but this time it backfired as Chandler Kelly smacked her first hit of the day – a 2-run single to left to give UPIKE a 5-4 lead.
Two batters later Chandler would score herself as Kelsey White brought her home with a single to center to make it a two-run game.
Claypoole took over from there, allowing just one hit over the next four innings to make sure her Bears brought home the much-needed sweep.
Lee Collier, Raymond, Kelly and Jadyn Gibson all finished with two hits each for UPIKE. It was a true team win as no single batter had more than one RBI.
Robinson paced Georgetown, going 2 for 3 and scoring a pair of runs. Kara Howard ended up with the loss after scattering nine hits for six runs in four innings.
UP NEXT
UPIKE wraps up the series with Georgetown at Noon ET on Saturday.
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