BLUEFIELD, Va. – Softball outlasted Bluefield in a 10-inning affair during game two to salvage a split on the road Friday. After the Rams (2-22, 1-13 MSC) posted a 3-2 win in the opening game, the Bears (11-8, 5-5 MSC) returned that same score during their win in 10 innings.
It was a big inning that undid the Bears in the opening game. Shawnee State took an early 1-0 lead after back-to-back singles from Allie Chapman and Kelsey Jenkins. With one down, Abbey Barrett continued her hot hitting at the plate with an RBI single.
With Shawnee State unable to pad its lead, the Rams took advantage in the bottom of the fifth. Four hits, all singles, coupled with a hit by pitch and untimely error spelled three runs, two earned, for Bluefield.
Kirsti Yates homered with one out in the seventh to bring her team back within a run. Barrett singled after that home run and stole second to put the potential game-tying run in scoring position with one, but a pair of outs hit to first base would end the Bears' chances.
The Bears outhit Bluefield by a 10-8 margin in the first game. However, the Bears stranded nine runners in the game, including two runners in four separate innings. Chapman took the loss as she pitched the full seven innings. She struck out four, while walking one batter.
In game two, it was the Rams that jumped on the board early. Bluefield scored a run in the first. The Bears would have been out of the inning 1-2-3, but a dropped third strike to the second hitter kept the inning alive. An error gave the Rams an additional out and they advantage with the early lead as their only hit of the inning came with two outs. The Rams second run of the game came in the fourth inning after a one-out single came around to score on a wild throw to first with two outs.
This time, the Bears would be able to complete a rally in the seventh inning. Barrett led off the inning with a single, while Hannah Dittoe followed that at-bat with a double down the left field line to plate the first run. A line out and ground out would left Dittoe standing at second with two outs, but Heidi Hall came through with a two-out single to send the game to extra innings.
Bluefield stranded two in the bottom of the eighth, while Shawnee State stranded two in the top of the ninth as both pitchers worked around jams to keep the game alive for their respective sides.
With an international tie break rule in effect, both teams started the 10th inning with a runner on second. A single from Jenkins put runners on the corners with no out. Yates lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score the Bears' run in the 10th.
Miranda Pauley got the start in the circle and went the full 10 innings to pick up the win. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner starting the inning at second to third with one out in the 10th inning. However, she would hold that runner on a fly to centerfield and induce a groundout to short to end the inning and seal the win.
Pauley did not allow an earned run in her 10 innings of work. She conceded just seven hits during that time and struck out six batters. Pauley did not issue a free pass in the game.
Softball will be back in action tomorrow at 2 p.m. in a doubleheader on the road against Pikeville.
