PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (Softball) – Playing in its final two competitions of the regular season slate, the Shawnee State softball team dropped both to the University of the Cumberlands – falling, 5-3, in game one and, 12-10 in game two – on Sunday afternoon at Boone Coleman Field.
Despite an offensive onslaught in game two that featured 14 hits and 10 runs, the Bears' pitching was unable to stifle the Patriot offense, surrendering 12 runs on 17 hits, including four runs in the final frame.
Hannah Dittoe (JR/Pickerington, Ohio) provided much of the offensive fire-power for the Bears, going 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored. Her big blast came in the third when the junior launched a towering home run over the left field fence, evening the contest at three.
The Cumberlands put up a four spot in the fourth to retake the lead, 7-3, but the Bears answered with a sixth run fifth frame. Heidi Hall (SO/Greenwich, Ohio) and Dittoe opened the inning with back-to-back doubles, before Abbi Sparks (FR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) and Rachael Ash (FR/Grove City, Ohio) singled back-to-back to score another run.
A fielder's choice plated Ash for the third run, a groundout added another and Kelsey Jenkins (SR/Wheelersburg, Ohio) added an RBI single. A wild pitch plated the final run of the frame, handing SSU a 10-8 lead.
The lead would not hold, however, as the Patriots used five hits in the seventh inning to bring home four runs and retake the lead. Shawnee State singled twice in the bottom of the frame, but left both runners stranded to take the loss.
Game one was a much lower-scoring affair, though the Cumberlands jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage. The scoring then subsided until the fifth, when both squads would score three runs.
Trailing 5-0, SSU got a leadoff single from Hall and Crawford reached via an error. Jenkins loaded the bases with a walk, and Hannah Thacker (FR/Dry Ridge, Ky.) singled to plate a pair of runs. Following another walk to Dittoe, Morgan McReynolds (FR/Covington, Ohio) brought home the final run of the game with a fielder's choice.
With the deficit cut to two, Shawnee State was unable to make any headway in the final two innings, as Cumberlands starter worked a perfect sixth and maneuvered around a walk in the seventh.
Allie Chapman (SR/Chesapeake, Ohio) took the defeat in game one, allowing five runs (three earned) on 11 hits. The senior walked three and struck out five.
The Bears are now set to begin play in the Mid-South Conference Tournament, slated to begin on Thursday. The squad will face off against top-seeded Campbellsville University on Thursday at 1 p.m. in Bowling Green, Ky.
