PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville split an AAC doubleheader with Johnson (Tenn.) University on Tuesday afternoon, falling in the opener 9-1 and winning the nightcap 5-3.
 
UPike (8-9, 4-4) will be back in action on Thursday afternoon, travelling to Elizabethton, Tenn., to play Milligan University. That doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m.
 
Royals 9, Bears 1: Johnson scored one in the first and added six more in the fourth to build an insurmountable lead.
 
UPike had four hits in the game. Kyra Kaboos had a double and scored the only run of the game for the Bears, coming in on Maddie Horn's single. Sam Case and Kaden Dunlap also had hits.
 
C.J. Alincic (2-5) got the decision for the Bears, pitching the first four innings. She recorded six strikeouts. Madisun Pritchard, who pitched the final 1-1/3, got the win for the Royals, improving to 2-2 on the season.
 
Bears 5, Royals 3: After the Royals scored in the top of the first when Katelyn Jeffers singled and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Megan Armstrong, the Bears pushed four across in the bottom of the inning.
 
Madison Horn walked, Sam Case singled, Jasmine Kaylor walked and Kaden Dunlap doubled. They scored, respectively, on a passed ball and three wild pitches to take a 4-1 lead.
 
The Royals scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before the Bears plated an insurance run in the fifth. It happened when Kaylor singled and scored on a double by Dunlap.
 
Dunlap had three hits to lead the Bears on offense. Sophie Kluesner and Kendall Hillard also had hits.
 
Chloe Bryant pitched the first 4-1/3 innings and was relieved by Kelsie Hardester, who got the win to improve to 2-2 on the season. She allowed only one hit.