Pikeville, KY – Magic happened for the second time this week for UPIKE Athletics, this time for Alyssa Franklin who crushed a three-run walk-off homer to push softball over Thomas More. The Bears edged the game two victory to split on the day after falling 11-3 in game one.

UPIKE totaled 10 hits on the day, with seven different Bears clubbing a hit in the second game. Natalie Joyce had the biggest at-bat of game one, sending an RBI double in the bottom of the second inning. Franklin's homer aside, Megan Claypoole led the Bears offensively in game two with an RBI double. Claypoole added three runs scored in the effort.

 
Game 1 | L, 11-3

The Bears got hot early in game two, stringing together a strong second inning that featured three runs on two hits, aided by a pair of errors by the Saints. Shortstop Zoe Ingram reached base on an error to lead off the inning, advanced by a single from Erin Bolen on the next-at bat. Joyce stepped up and sent a shot up the middle, scoring Ingram before Joyce scored on an dropped fly to right. Katelyn Byrd capped off the inning, stealing home on a throwdown to second prompted by Sophie Kluesner who stole from first.

Thomas More answered in a big way in the fifth, piling on five runs followed by two more in the fourth to take a commanding lead. The Saints held the Bears scoreless for the remainder of the ballgame to come away with the victory.

Claypoole got the start and was relieved by Macy Jones in the third inning. Claypoole allowed four runs on three hits while Jones threw seven innings, giving up six earned. Both pitchers recorded a pair of strikeouts.

Game 2 | W, 7-5

Scoring was sparse for the first five innings of game two, with UPIKE striking first via Claypoole who crossed after an error on the Saints' shortstop. The Bears held the lead until the top of the sixth when Thomas More tied the ballgame at 1-1.

UPIKE answered wth a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, led off by Claypoole who doubled to center, later scoring on an error by the Saints. Maci James manned the basepaths as a pinch-runner for Franklin, scoring via an infield single from Haley Osborne to put the Bears up 3-1.

In the seventh, the Saints challenged with a big four-run inning coming off four hits that included a two-RBI triple. The stage was set in the bottom of the inning after Alysha Bolling reached on a hit-by-pitch, advanced to second by a single from Kluesner two at-bats later. Claypoole connected and forced an error, scoring Bolling and putting runners on first and second. Franklin got the final word with the game-winning blast to walk it off.

Katlyn Mullins nabbed her fifth win of 2021 after delivering five shut-out innings, recording a season high seven strikeouts.

UPIKE softball returns to the diamond on Thursday, April 15^th at Paul Butcher Field as they step out of conference for a pair against Johnson University.