PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- UPIKE softball was able to pull off its best win of the season so far and save a doubleheader split with a walk-off 7-6 win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against No. 13 Campbellsville.
Game 1
Campbellsville seized the lead early and never looked back in a 10-1 win over the Bears.
The Tigers took the lead with the first batter as Payton Blades hit a home run out to left field, the first of four CU home runs in the game.
Pikeville would tie the game in the second in usual UPIKE fashion. Kelsey White hit a leadoff single, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on an RBI single from Hannah Absher.
Campbellsville would return to the long ball in the third with a double and a home run to take a 3-1 lead. It would be the start of nine unanswered runs for the Tigers.
The Tigers turned to the gappers in the four-run fourth. A double, walk and RBI single chased Megan Claypoole from the game with Brooke Layne coming in relief. CU hit a double and single off Layne in her first two batters faced to score three more before the inning ended.
From that point on Layne would be solid until CU connected for a pair of home runs in the seventh to reach the 10-1 final score.
Game 2
UPIKE was unfazed entering game two, and the Bears were able to execute a perfect smallball inning in the seventh to walk-off the Tigers in a 7-6 win.
Blades was again a pain for the Bears in the first inning, leading off with a single and later scoring on a sac fly.
However, UPIKE exploded for a six-run rally in the second, all with two outs. The scoring in the rally got started with a three-RBI triple from Mercedes Boggs. Gentry followed with an RBI single to score Boggs. After a single by MacKenzie Pawlak, Haley Osborne finished the rally with a two-RBI double.
UPIKE's 6-1 lead would hold until the Tigers had a big rally of their own to tie the game in the fifth inning. Campbellsville used four hits and a UPIKE error, including a three-run home run to ignite the rally.
From that point on, Hannah Skaggs would correct her course and be lights out for the rest of the game.
With the game tied headed into the bottom of the fourth, the stage would be set for yet another UPIKE walk-off this season. Gentry opened the inning with a walk, allowing the Bears to turn to their small-ball specialty.
Pawlak tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but after two fouls, she was forced to take her swings and executed with a bloop single to left. Osborne followed with a perfect sacrifice to get the game-winning run one base away. But the Bears shocked the Tigers with yet another sacrifice bunt. After the charging third baseman threw to third, Gentry darted home and was safe to secure the upset.
Game 3
That offense was unable to carry into Sunday's doubleheader, as Campbellsville took the first game, 5-0.
Campbellsville turned again to the long ball on Sunday, but scored their first run in some station-to-station action. A single and walk got the inning started for CU, and then two long fly balls allowed the first runner to score.
UPIKE had a chance to tie the game immediately, but stranded a runner at third. That would be the only time the Bears got a runner in scoring position in the contest.
The only other scoring in the game would come in a four-run fourth inning. A double and two wild pitches got the inning started. But then a pair of home runs, one of which is a two-run shot set the game out of reach.
After scoring the game-winning run on her the night before, UPIKE couldn't find an answer for Tigers starter Morgan Gailor, who limited the Bears to four hits in her complete game shutout.
Game 4
Campbellsville kept its foot on the gas in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, a 16-4 win for the Tigers.
The Tigers strung together three hits to get two runs on the board before the skies opened and forced a 53-minute rain delay.
CU extended its lead after the rain in the third with a three-run home run and RBI groundout in the third inning to push the lead to 6-0.
UPIKE cut into that lead a bit with a deep two-run home run from Jordan Gentry, her fourth of the season.
However, Campbellsville would continue to fire on all cylinders offensively for the remainder of the game. The visitors combined for 16 hits in the game, four of which were extra base hits.
UPIKE wasn't far behind with 14 hits of their own, but couldn't string them together or get extra base hits besides Gentry's home run or a later one by Haley Karr.
Pikeville was able to avoid being run-ruled by scoring in the fifth and sixth, but couldn't rally to get the game back close.
UP NEXT
The Bears will now embark on a six-game Mid-South Conference road trip, starting with a midweek doubleheader against Cumberlands (Ky.) on Wednesday, and then a weekend series against Cumberland (Tenn.) on Friday and Saturday.
-UPIKE-
