PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville softball team opened the home portion of the 2024 schedule with a doubleheader split with Georgetown College. UPike took the opener 3-2 before the Tigers won the nightcap 9-3.
 
It'll be a quick turnaround for the former conference foes as they will meet again on Tuesday afternoon at Georgetown. Game time is slated for 1 p.m.
 
Bears 3, Tigers 2: The teams traded runs in the first inning. Georgetown scored when the leadoff batter Kaylyn Barnett reached on an infield single and scored on a wild pitch. UPike's run came when Lillie Kluesner reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kaden Dunlap.
 
Georgetown took the lead again in the top of the second. Haylee Stansbury drew a one-out walk and later scored when Barnett laced a single to center.
 
The Bears took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the third on a two-run single by third baseman Alyssa Franklin. She delivered Jamie Pollard and Maddie Horn, who led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
 
Franklin had two hits and two RBIs for the Bears, who got a complete-game CJ Alincic. She allowed six hits and struck out 10 in the win to improve to 1-1.
 
Barnett led the Tigers with two hits, driving in one of the runs and scoring the other.
 
Emma Cummings was the pitcher for the Tigers. She went all six, allowing three runs, two earned.
 
Tigers 9, Bears 3: The Bears took the lead in the bottom of the first when Kluesner singled and scored on Dunlap's double.
 
Georgetown scored two in the top of the second. It began when Alanna Pierce led off with a triple and tied the game on a wild pitch. Ella Forish doubled to center and scored on a throwing error.
 
The Tigers added two runs in the third to stretch the lead to 4-1. Barnett reached on an infield single and scored when Stevie Shepherd singled to left. Shepherd came around to score on a single by Pierce.
 
Georgetown pushed four across in the top of the fifth. Shepherd led off with a walk and scored from first on an infield error off the bat of Forish, who scored on a single by Kinley Lucas, who moved into scoring position on a ground out and scored on a hit by Elle Prewitt.
 
Prewitt made it 8-1 when Ellie Price singled to right.
 
The Bears got two back in the bottom of the fifth. Kluesner and Dunlap again teamed up with each having a single. Dunlap scored when pinch-hitter Kyra Kaboos drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 8-3.
 
The Tigers scored the game's final run in the top of the sixth when Ainsley Herron walked and scored on a sacrifice fly by Shepherd.
 
UPike had 10 hits, with Kluesner leading the way with three. Dunlap had two hits, including a double and drove in two. Sophie Kluesner had two hits.
 
Georgetown had 11 hits, with Pierce having a single and a triple and Lucas and Prewitt having two singles each.
 
Kelsie Hardester was the starter and pitcher of record for the Bears, throwing the first three innings. She was followed in the circle by Chloe Bryant and Sara Bays.
 
Prewitt got the win for the Tigers, pitching 2-2/3 innings.