PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville softball team and Shawnee State (Ohio) split the final two games of their conference series on Friday with UPIKE taking game one 6-2 before falling by the same score in the nightcap.
The Bears move to 17-13 overall and 1-7 in Mid-South Conference play, while Shawnee State is 17-11 overall and 5-7 in the MSC.
Next up for UPIKE is a meeting with Cumberlands at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday at home.
GAME ONE – UPIKE 6, Shawnee State 2
UPIKE struck first when Chandler Kelly hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the first inning, but the lead didn't last long as Shawnee State scored a run in each of the next two frames.
They did it with singles too, scoring the tying run on two hits in the second before using two hits and a sac fly to right field for the go-ahead score the next inning.
After a scoreless fourth, UPIKE got the bats going again in the bottom of the fifth as it scored two runs on three hits and an error. Both runs scored on two outs as Lee Collier ripped a single to center which went deep enough for Emme Barker and Hannah Absher to hustle home for a 3-2 lead.
A one-run lead wasn't enough for the Bears as they added three insurance runs in the sixth, starting with Kelsey White's RBI-double to left, followed by Absher hitting an RBI single. Shawnee catcher Michal Cunningham tried to throw out Haley Osborne at third after the hit, but threw the ball away, allowing the last run to score.
The 6-2 lead held up as SSU recorded just one hit in the seventh. UPIKE pitcher Hannah Skaggs recorded the final out herself on a ground ball back to the circle.
Skaggs improved to 9-7 on the season after scattering seven hits for two runs with four strikeouts. Tatum Wise (8-6) took the loss after allowing one earned run on nine hits with three strikeouts.
Jordan Gentry, Kelsey White and Collier led the Bears with two hits each as Collier drove in two runs. White issued the only extra-base hit of the game with a double.
GAME TWO – Shawnee State 6, UPIKE 2
Raymond went 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored, but it wasn't enough to get past an SSU team that tallied five extra-base hits.
Shawnee State built a 4-0 lead through the first two and a half innings as UPIKE didn't get on the board until scoring two runs in the bottom of the third when it strung together three straight hits with two outs.
Collier doubled, then Raymond doubled right behind her to score the first run. Kelly's single to deep, left centerfield brought home Raymond to make it 4-2.
Despite tying SSU in hits 9-9 for the game, the Bears wound up not scoring again in the game as they stranded five runners on base and connected on just one double, compared five doubles for Shawnee.
SSU added a run on two hits in the fifth and another run on two hits in the sixth to give itself a cushion behind the pitching of McKenzie Whittaker who improved to 8-5 on the season after allowing two runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
Megan Claypoole took the loss after scattering nine hits for six runs with three strikeouts and four walks. The freshman falls to 8-6 on the season with the loss.
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