Pikeville, KY – UPIKE softball swept Tuesday's doubleheader against Asbury, claiming a 2-0 shutout victory in game two before taking down the Eagles 7-4 in the second game. Freshman pitcher
Katlyn Mullins earned her first collegiate win in game two, matching her season high with four strikeouts.
Game 1 | 8H, 1E
The first of the two contests was a low scoring affair, with neither team crossing home plate in the first three innings. The scoring draught was broken by UPIKE in the bottom of the fourth when the Bears connected for four hits, scoring two runs.
Alysha Bolling made her first appearance of the season for UPIKE and made an immediate impact offensively, going 2-3 with singles in the first and fourth frames. Sophomore
Alyssa Franklin smacked a pair of doubles and finished 2-3 in the game while
Brynna Souels notched her first hit and stolen base of the season in the win.
Senior pitcher
Megan Claypoole was lights out in the circle on Tuesday, tossing seven innings complete with eight strikeouts. The Maysville, KY native only allowed two hits in the shutout effort.
Game 2 | 9H, 2E
Asbury struck first in the opening inning, getting off to a solid start with three hits in the frame. The Eagles scored a run but left three on base, stranded by solid pitching to close the inning by
Katlyn Mullins. Senior
Kelsey White had her best performance of the season in the win, busting two hits and scoring a pair of runs. Haley Osbourne performed at the plate as well going 2-3, adding a run scored and two RBIs. Both of Osbourne's RBIs came in the bottom of the second where she sent a shot off the fence in left-center field that crossed
Erin Bolen and White.
Asbury made it a one run ballgame in the top of the third and managed to keep the Bears scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when the Bears scored a trio of runs to take a 7-3 lead. Claypoole sparked the big inning, sending a double to left center field on the first pitch of her at-bat, followed by White who singled up the middle.
Sophie Kluesner hit in the infield but an error enabled Claypoole to score and gave the Bears runners on the corners. Kluesner stole second before Franklin roped a single to right field and scored both.
Mullins went three complete innings, allowing five hits and three runs for her first win with the program, striking out four along the way.
Mattea Ware did some relief work and totaled four innings, allowing a single run and a pair of hits with three strikeouts.
UPIKE softball is on the road tomorrow, Wednesday, March 9
th against West Virginia Tech.
