Myrtle Beach, S.C. - UPIKE capped off their Myrtle Beach 2023 trip with wins over Penn State Hazleton and Bridgewater State Monday night.
Game 1: UPIKE 8, Penn State Hazleton 3
The Bears were kept off the board by the Lions through the first five innings, during which the Lions took a 3-0 lead. UPIKE finally got the offense going in the top of the sixth when Zoey Keeton hit an RBI single. Alexis Roby knocked in a run with a sacrifice groundout then Haleigh Jones tied the game on an error.
With the score knotted at three in the top of the seventh, UPIKE's offense once again went to work. Kelsie Hardester gave the Bears their first lead of the game with a single to center field, then Lillie Kluesner scored on a passed ball. Leading 5-3, freshman Karsen Prichard put the game out of reach with a two run single to center field. After the Lions walked in a run, UPIKE went up 8-3. Chloe Bryant retired the Nittany Lions in order in the bottom of the seventh to give UPIKE the win. Bryant struck out four Lions and pitched a complete game.
Game 2: UPIKE 8, Bridgewater State 5
After a slow start offensively in game one, UPIKE jumped on BSU early in this one. Sam Case got the scoring started after an error, then Sophie Kluesner scored on a sacrifice groundout by Haleigh Jones. UPIKE added two more runs and led 4-0 after one.
Haleigh Jones extended UPIKE's lead to 5-0 with a single in the second. Lillie Kluesner, who had three RBIs in game two, put UPIKE up 7-0 with a two-run double. Kelsie Hardester capped off a four-run inning for the Bears with a single to right field. After two, UPIKE led 8-0.
Bridgewater did not go away quietly, though. BSU scored one in the fourth, one in the fifth, then three in the sixth to cut UPIKE's lead to 8-5. While BSU did make it interesting late, Kelsie Hardester and the UPIKE defense shut the door and a potential comeback. Hardester pitched a complete game, gave up five runs (two earned) and struck out three to pick up her fourth win of the season.
The Bears are now 10-2 (0-0 MSC) following yesterday's wins. UPIKE will open Mid-South Conference play this upcoming weekend when they travel to Lebanon, Tenn. to take on Cumberland University.
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