BECKLEY, W.Va. – The University of Pikeville softball team traveled to Beckley to play a doubleheader with WVU Tech on Wednesday, and split two absolutely wild contests.
 
The Bears rallied to win the opener 12-10 before dropping the nightcap 12-11.
 
UPike now stands 7-8 on the season and will return home and to AAC play on Saturday afternoon, hosting Bryan (Tenn.) College for two starting at 1 p.m.
 
UPike 12, Tech 10: Trailing 10-5 heading to the seventh inning, the Bears delivered seven runs in the final frame to pull out the win.
 
The seventh started with consecutive walks to Sam Case and Haleigh Jones, but they were followed by two fly outs. On the verge of defeat, Maddie Horn got the scoring started with a single to center to score Case. The runners ended the play in scoring position.
 
Lillie Kluesner reached on an infield single that score Jones to make it 10-7, and a single by Alyssa Franklin scored Horn. Kaden Dunlap doubled to center, delivering Kluesner and making it 10-9.
 
The Bears took the lead when Sara Bays doubled to run, bringing both Franklin and Dunlap across. Case delivered again with an RBI single to score Bays and make it a two-run advantage.
 
Three infield groundouts in the bottom of the frame ended the game.
 
The Bears pounded out 15 hits in the win, with Kluesner, Case and starting pitcher Chole Bryant having three each. Horn had two hits, while Franklin, Dunlap, Bays and Kendall Hillard each having one.
 
Kluesner, Franklin, Bays and Case had two RBIs each. Horn scored three times, while Kluesner and Franklin crossed the dish twice.
 
Bryant pitched the first five innings, striking out five. Bays (1-0) threw the sixth and got the win.
 
Kelsie Hardester came in to close it out and picked up her second save of the season.
 
Tech 11, UPike 10: The Bears again rallied late, scoring four in the top of the seventh to take a 10-9 lead only to see Tech come back with two in the bottom half for the win.
 
UPike also pushed four across in the fifth to set the stage for their heroics.
 
Katelyn Byrd and Kyra Kaboos had two hits apiece for the Bears, who recorded 11 in the game. Byrd had two RBIs while Kaboos scored twice. Case doubled, drove one in and scored once, while Horn, Jasmine Kaylor, Zoey Keeton, Clara Blair, Emma Muncy and Addison Johnson all had hits.
 
Muncy joined Byrd with two RBIs.
 
Following her save, Hardester pitched the first 4.1 innings of the finale. Kaylor pitched the final two and got the decision.