PIKEVILLE, Ky. - University of Pikeville softball split an AAC doubleheader with the KCU Knights in their final home games of the 2025 season Tuesday afternoon.
With Tuesday's split, UPIKE's 2025 record sits at 14-23 overall and 7-15 in conference play. Coach Robert Staggs' team will hit the road Friday for a 1:00 p.m. AAC doubleheader against Tennessee Wesleyan.
Game 1: KCU 11, UPIKE 4
KCU opened the scoring in top of the first and added another in the third, the same inning the Bears' offense came alive. Claudia Maness opened the bottom of the third with a double, then made her way to third after Kaden Dunlap reached on a bunt. Maness tapped the dish one at-bat later after Dani Crum reached on an error. Addison Johnson tied the game with a single to left during the next at-bat.
The story in game one for the Bears were errors. KCU took advantage of an error in the fourth inning and would go onto take the lead. The Knights took advantage of three more errors in the fifth and piled on four more runs.
UPIKE cut into KCU's lead by scoring one run in the fifth and sixth innings. However, the Knights took advantage of another tough inning for the Bears' defense. The Bears committed two errors, and the Knights scored four more runs.
The Bears finished the game with six errors that led to six unearned KCU runs. Five of the Bears' errors occurred in innings five and seven, where the Knights consequently scored eight of their eleven runs.
Game 2: UPIKE 7, KCU 5
The Knights opened the scoring in game two with a pair of runs in the game's opening frame, but their lead was short-lived. Johnson hit a lead-off single, then Crum tied the game with a two-run homer to left. Two at-bats later, Claudia Maness drew a one out walk, then got to third base after a double to left by Maddie Horn. Maness and Horn both tapped the dish after a two-out double by Dunlap.
KCU scored a run in the top of the second and the Bears countered with two in the bottom of the second. Johnson reached base via an error then Crum singled to put two on with no outs. Sam Case put Johnson and Crum in scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. In the next at-bat, Maness recorded a sacrifice fly to right to score Johnson, then Crum scored on an errant throw to put the Bears up 6-3.
The Knights scored one run each in innings three and four to cut the Bears' lead to 6-5. In the bottom of the sixth, Crum provided the Bears with an insurance run. Crum led off the inning with a solo shot to left, her second home run of the game.
Leading 7-5 in the top of the seventh, Chloe Calton and the Bears defense looked to close out the game. KCU led off the inning with a single, but a pop-up to Case and an unassisted tag out by Haleigh Jones had the Knights down to their last out. The next batter drew a walk to put runners on first and second, but Calton slammed the door on KCU's comeback bid with a strikeout to end the game.
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