PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville softball team picked up an important sweep in AAC play on Saturday, beating Brenau (Ga.) University 4-3 and 8-4.
 
The Bears are now 15-14 on the season and 11-9 in the AAC. The Golden Tigers fell to 23-15, 14-10 against conference teams.
 
UPike is back home on Sunday afternoon, playing host to Truett-McConnell (Ga.) University. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Paul Butcher Field.
 
Bears 4, Golden Tigers 3: Brenau jumped out to a 3-0 lead with one in the first and two in the second. Dayton Power singled and scored on a groundout in the first. In the second, Carley Cox and Cameron Harkey led off with singles and a walk to Bre Brookshire loaded the bases.
 
Cox was forced out at the plate. A double off the bat of Ava Moon scored Harkey and Brookshire.
 
The Bears began their comeback in the bottom of the second. When the inning began with consecutive doubles by Jasmine Kaylor and Alyssa Franklin to make it 3-1.
 
UPike took the lead with three in the bottom of the third. It began with a walk drawn by Katelyn Byrd. One out later, Lillie Kluesner also walked. The runners advanced on a ground out, and a single by Jasmine Kaylor scored both to tie the game at 3-3.
 
A single by Alyssa Franklin was followed by a hit to right by Maria McClellan to score Kaylor and make it 4-3.
 
Kelsie Hardester (3-2) threw the first five innings to get the win. Chloe Bryant covered the last two innings for her first save of the season.
 
Bears 8, Golden Tigers 4: The Bears got on the scoreboard with three in the bottom of the third inning. A bases-loaded single to right-center by Franklin scored Sam Case, who had singled, and Kaden Dunlap, who had reached on an error. Maddie Horn followed with a run-scoring single to deliver Kaylor.
 
UPike added a run in the fourth when Kluesner doubled with two outs and scored on a passed ball.
 
Brenau cut the lead in half in the fifth with a pair of runs. Whitney Hulsey doubled to centerfield, scoring both Hannah Patridge and Power, both of whom had singled earlier in the frame.
 
UPike got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning when Kaylor walked and scored on a triple to right by Horn to make it 5-2.
 
Scoring for the Bears ended with three in the sixth inning. Haleigh Jones led off with a walk and Case reached on a fielder's choice. Kaylor singled to center to score Jones and Franklin delivered both Case and Kaylor with a single.
 
The Golden Tigers tacked on two runs in the top of the seventh. Callie Dale led off with a pinch-hit double. Power reached on an infield error, which scored Ava Moon, who had come in to run for Dale. Power reached third and then another throwing error allowed her to score.
 
CJ Alincic improved to 6-7 win the win. She threw all seven innings and struck out three.