PORTSMOUTH – Softball doubled up No. 23 Campbellsville in both of its games Tuesday afternoon as the Bears (17-10, 9-7 MSC) won both game one and two by identical 4-2 scores over the nationally-ranked Tigers (25-11, 12-6). Shawnee State trailed early on in both contests before rallying in the late innings for the daily sweep as the Bears ran their winning to six straight games.
Shawnee State got a pair of quality starts from their pitching in both games. In the first game, Allie Chapman (JR/Chesapeake, Ohio) matched up with reigning MSC Pitcher of the Week Taylor Wroe. In the first three innings, the two sides had just two hits each as pitching set the tone early.
After watching nine of its first 11 hitters being retired, Campbellsville started the fourth inning with a bang as Heather Oakley and Sara Paragon each had solo home runs on back-to-back pitches to make the score 2-0.
Through the first five innings, Shawnee State had managed just three hits to that point. That would all change in the sixth inning when Kirsti Yates (SR/Chillicothe, Ohio) and Holly Brabson (SR/Piketon, Ohio) singled to start the rally, advancing to second and third on an error in the outfield. A wild pitch scored the first run of the Bears' afternoon, while Abbey Barrett (SR/Franklin Furnace, Ohio) then singled home a run and she moved into scoring position on another Tigers' error in the outfield.
A second wild pitch in the inning moved Barrett to third base, while Hannah Dittoe (SO/Pickerington, Ohio) reached on a dropped third strike to put runners on the corners. After the first out of the inning was recorded, Hannah Foster (SO/Portsmouth, Ohio) then singled home the go-ahead run, prompting the second pitching change of the inning. The fifth and final hit of the Bears' four-run inning came off the bat of Tara Prater (SR/Hilliard, Ohio) as she made the score 4-2 with an RBI single.
Chapman then finished off the game by retiring each of the three Campbellsville hitters that she faced. The Tigers did get one hit in the seventh, but a strong throw back to the infield beat the runner trying for extra bases to put two away before a pop up to second base closed the book in the first win. Chapman allowed just six hits and struck out two batters to pick up her ninth win of the season in the circle.
The second game started out with offense again hard to come by as Miranda Pauley (FR/Portsmouth, Ohio) and her counterpart Victoria Decker (last year's MSC Freshman of the Year) each shut down the opposition in the first two innings.
The Tigers got their first run off of Pauley in the third inning, but SSU roared back for three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Yates started off the inning as she reached on an error, while Brabson was hit by pitch to put two runners on base. Barrett was also hit by pitch to then load the bases with nobody out. Dittoe got the Bears' lone hit of the inning to drive home the first run, while a wild pitch allowed the second run of the frame to score. An RBI groundout from Foster would make the score 3-1.
Campbellsville's biggest threat of the second game came in the top of the sixth inning. A pair of singles put two runners aboard with just one out. A fly ball to center put two away, but the Tigers worked a walk to load the bases. A hit by pitch forced in the first run of the inning. However, the Bears escaped further damage with a fly ball just several feet short of the wall in left-centerfield as Campbellsville left the bases loaded in the frame.
Shawnee State added an insurance run in the seventh as Barrett walked and came around to score on an error in the outfield. Campbellsville would reach on an error with one out in the seventh and keep the game alive with a two-out single, but Pauley got the final batter to pop up on the infield. Pauley improved to 8-2 on the year with the win. She allowed seven hits over her seven innings of work.
Softball's doubleheader with Lindsey Wilson that was scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed due to the threat of inclement weather. That game will be made up this Sunday, April 6 at 1 p.m. With that change, the Bears next game will be at home Friday against Rio Grande. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. in that doubleheader.
