Portsmouth, Ohio – Kayla Koch (JR/Lucasville, Ohio) would hit a home run in both games of Shawnee State's doubleheader against Cumberlands (Ky.) as the Bears would sweep the Patriots, winning game one 8-0 and game two 6-5.
The Bears run ruled Cumberlands in game one, winning in five innings. Kayla Koch would get Shawnee State's offense jumpstarted in the first inning, hitting a two-run home run to right field.
Shawnee State would score five runs in the third inning, all with two outs. The scoring would begin with Marissa Brown hitting a sacrifice fly to center field for the second out, driving in Ashtyn Saunders (FR/Lancaster, Ohio). Koch would hit a single in the next at-bat, and would advance to third on Tara Duncan (SR/Lancaster, Ohio)'s double. Both Koch and Duncan would score on Katlyn Gleich (SO/Grove City, Ohio)'s RBI double. Gleich would score on a single by Haley Rawlins (FR/South Point, Ohio), and after advancing to second on an error by Cumberlands' centerfielder Cassandra Johnson, Rawlins would score on Katie Wolsefer (FR/Franklin, Ohio)'s single.
Brooke Blevins (FR/Frankfort, Ohio) would earn the win by pitching a game one gem, allowing no runs on two hits and striking out four in five innings to earn the complete game. Kacy Russell was charged with the loss for Cumberlands, allowing seven runs on nine hits in four innings.
The Bears would pick up where they left off in game two, with Kayla Koch again providing early offense with a three-run homer in the first inning. The Patriots and Bears would trade runs in the third. Rawlins would drive in Madi Phillips (SO/Portsmouth, Ohio) with a single in the fourth inning, and Katie Wolsefer would score in the bottom of the sixth on an error on a double steal play to give Shawnee State a 6-1 lead.
McKenzie Whittaker (SO/McDermott, Ohio) would throw six solid frames, but would run into trouble in the top of the seventh. Cassandra Johnson would start the inning with a single, and Kaylee James would double in the next at-bat to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Johnson would score on a sacrifice fly by Katie Baldock. Emily Fox would then double home James, and Morgan Elliston would reach on an infield single one batter later. Hannah Stephenson would knock Whittaker out of the game with a double, driving in Fox and moving Elliston to third.
Miranda Pauley (SR/Portsmouth, Ohio) would earn the save. Haley Kilburn would make the score 6-5 with a groundout to third, but Pauley would preserve the lead by getting Kailin Yantz to ground out to third to end the game.
Whittaker would earn the win by pitching 6.1 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits. Sydney Maynard would allow six runs on eight hits in six innings to get hit with the loss. Pauley would earn the save by getting two outs in the seventh to preserve the lead.
With the wins, Shawnee State climb back above the .500 mark at 9-8 and are 3-5 in the Mid-South Conference. Cumberlands are now 12-16, and are 4-4 in the league.
Shawnee State and Cumberlands will end their series tomorrow with a doubleheader scheduled to start at 12:00pm.
