Softball wins ten in a row
0By Mason Blair
The University of Pikeville softball team has won 10 straight games for the first time in recorded program history after taking care of business against Bluefield (Va.) with a pair of 7-1 and 11-10 wins on Monday, March 19, at Paul Butcher Field.
The Bears who now stand at 14-6 overall had no trouble in the first game, behind the strong hitting from junior Jordan Gentry who went 3-for-4 and drove in a trio of runs to help the Bears past the Rams in the opener 7-1. UPIKE outhit Bluefield 12-6 and played error free to win comfortably.
Freshman pitcher, Megan Claypoole, tossed the ball for six hits, only allowing one run with 10 strikeouts and four walks.
A four-run fourth inning is what put UPIKE in front for good as they scored a run on Osborne’s single, two on a hit by Gentry and the last run on a fielder’s choice hit by Gentry. Bluefield failed to respond to the big frame as the Bears added two more runs in the sixth to put things away.
In game two, UPIKE didn’t waste any time in pursuit of a sweep as it tallied six runs through the first two frames, including five across the board in the second, but Bluefield didn’t surrender, using seven UPIKE errors and timely hitting to tie things up at 10-10 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Kelsey White only needed to see one pitch to grab the sweep for the Bears as she sent Bluefield home after crushing a home run to center. It was an exciting finish to a game that could have ended by run rule at 8-0 in the top of the fifth before the Rams put their first six runs on the scoreboard.
Claypoole, the game-one starter, had to enter in relief for the Bears as she threw a pair of strikeouts to finally end the threat. Claypoole moved to 7-3 on the season with her second win of the day after allowing just one earned run in 2 2/3 innings, with three more strikeouts in relief of Hannah Skaggs.
Kelly led the Bears at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs, while Raymond backed her up with three hits and two runs knocked in.