PORTSMOUTH – Softball picked up two more victories on Saturday as the Bears (23-16, 15-13 MSC) finished a perfect 4-0 on the weekend with 7-3 and 9-1 (5 inn.) victories against Bluefield (3-43, 1-31 MSC). Saturday also served as Senior Day for teams as the four members of the senior class – Abbey Barrett (SR/Franklin Furnace, Ohio), Holly Brabson (SR/Piketon, Ohio), Tara Prater (SR/Hilliard, Ohio) and Kirsti Yates (SR/Chillicothe, Ohio) – each recorded at least one hit and scored at least one run over the course of the two victories.
After spotting Bluefield a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Yates got the Shawnee State bats started with a bang as she blasted her fifth home run of the year in SSU's first at-bat of the game. The Bears took the lead for good in the bottom of the second. Tara Duncan (FR/Lancaster, Ohio) doubled to start the inning and was bunted into scoring position by Hannah Foster (SO/Portsmouth, Ohio). A single from Prater and walk to Heidi Hall (FR/Greenwich, Ohio) then loaded the bases. Kelsey Jenkins (JR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) quickly unloaded them with a three-run triple down the right field line. Kirsti Yates drove in her second run of the afternoon with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Brabson would cap the big scoring inning with her fourth home run of the season as she became the second senior to homer on Senior Day. The Bears added their final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth as Hannah Dittoe (SO/Pickerington, Ohio) blasted the Bears' third home run of the opening game. Bluefield would answer back with a home run of its own in the top of the sixth; however, the Rams could do no further damage and fell 7-3.
Allie Chapman (JR/Chesapeake, Ohio) picked up her 13th win of the season in the circle in a complete game effort. She allowed five hits and three earned runs over her seven innings of work. She did not walk a batter and struck out eight in her time in the circle. She recorded four 1-2-3 innings as she set down 10 in a row at one point before the leadoff home run in the sixth inning.
Shawnee State came right back and jumped on the Rams for two early runs in the first inning of game two. Yates started this game with a double for the Bears, while Brabson reached on an error to put two runners aboard. After a fly out and pop up, Duncan delivered her second two-run double of the afternoon to spot the Bears an early lead.
Two innings later, Brabson and Barrett each reached on errors with one out in the third. For the third time on Saturday, it was Duncan that came through with a two-run double to put her team up 4-0. Hannah Foster would follow that at-bat up with an RBI single to make the score 5-0 heading to the fourth.
Bluefield scored its lone run of the afternoon in the bottom of the fourth but the Bears would have the last say as they walked off with a four-run fifth inning to put the run rule in effect. Barrett led off the fifth with a double. She then stole third, giving her 43 career stolen bases and tying the program record set by Tiffany Shanks-Moore (1992-93, 96). After the first out, Duncan's fourth double of the afternoon scored Barrett. Foster then singled to put two on base. Prater drove in a run in to make the score 7-1, while Hall doubled into the left centerfield gap. That double scored the final two runs of the game, making the final 9-1 in five innings.
Prater also picked up her second win in as many days in the circle. She allowed four hits and just the one run over five innings in her complete game effort.
Softball will look to continue its winning ways on Monday as the Bears host the University of the Cumberlands. First pitch in that doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Bears will also be at home on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader against Georgetown College.
