The University of Pikeville ran its winning streak to seven games with a doubleheader sweep of Shawnee State University on Saturday afternoon. UPIKE won the opener 4-3 and took the nightcap 9-4.
UPIKE is now 15-15 overall, 8-8 in the league. SSU fell to 3-26 overall, 2-15 against conference opponents.
The teams will finish the Mid-South Conference series on Sunday with a noon first pitch.
UPIKE 4, SSU 3: UPike jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held on to take the opener.
UPIKE scored in the bottom of the first when Ryan Sartin, who had singled to start the inning, scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
A three-run fourth inning gave UPIKE all the runs it would need. It began with Tyler Freas being hit by a pitch and moving into scoring position when Samuel Torres walked. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch, and the Freas scored on another errant pitch to make it 2-0.
Sartin singled to left to deliver courtesy runner Damarco Miller to make it 3-0, and then came around to score on yet another wild pitch.
Shawnee State picked up a couple of runs in the top of the sixth when Noah Sniadach singled to right to score Charles Douglas, who had reached on an infield single. Freshman Brock Kitchen made it 4-2 when he singled to score Eric Oates.
In the top of the seventh, SSU had a chance to take the lead before some nice defense got UPIKE out of the jam. Tanner Lund doubled to left to get the frame started. After Zach Gaspar was hit by a pitch, both runners moved up on a wild pitch.
Two outs later, Sniadach laced a ground ball up the middle. It scored Lund, but a diving stop by shortstop Kyle Williams kept the potential tying run at third, where he was stranded on the next at bat.
Jairmey Pulido (2-3) got the win, going the first six innings. He scattered eight hits, allowing two runs. He recorded six strikeouts and walked only one. Ethan Cernohous pitched the seventh to earn his second save of the season.
Jacob Gleason (1-6) took the loss for SSU, striking out five but walking four and allowing five hits.
Sartin had three of UPIKE's five hits, scoring two and driving in one. Greg Lile doubled and Maynard added a single.
Snidach, Lund and Diego Mendoza had two hits apiece for SSU.
UPIKE 9, SSU 4: Shawnee State scored three times in the top of the first, but saw UPIKE rally for the win.
The first began with singled by Douglas and Oakes to set the stage for a run-scoring double by Sniadach. Oakes scored on a groundout and Sniadach came around when Noah Renzer singled to make it 3-0.
UPIKE, however, responded with three of its own in the bottom of the frame. It began when Sartin laced a home run to left. Singles by Maynard, Noah Helton and Lyle loaded the bases. Maynard scored when Noah Brooks walked, and an infield hit by Cam Revolt delivered Helton to tie the score.
UPIKE took the lead in the second when Maynard singled and scored on a double to left by Helton, and got some breathing room by scoring four times in the third.
Brooks walked to open the inning, but two outs later was still at first. He moved to third when Zach Hill singled to right and scored on a single by Sartin. Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Maynard followed with a bases-clearing triple to right field to make it 8-3.
Each team added a single run the rest of the way. For UPIKE, it came in the eighth when Helton led off with a home run to left. SSU closed the scoring in the ninth when Lund, who reached on a walk, scored on an error.
Freshman Kameron Brodeur went the first six to pick up the win. He struck out five and walked one. Jakobe Reese went the first three and got the decision for SSU.
Sartin, Maynard and Helton had three hits each for the Bears.
Sniadach and Ryan Scott had three hits apiece for Shawnee.
