Bowling Green, Ky. – Shawnee State softball saw their season come to a close on Sunday afternoon, falling to Georgetown 7-1 in an elimination game in the Mid-South Conference Tournament.
The Bears would get the game started with a run in the top of the first. Michal Cunningham (SO/Wheelersburg, Ohio) would lead off the game by doubling down the left field line, and reach third on Ashtyn Saunders (SO/Lancaster, Ohio)' bunt single. Marisa Brown (JR/Liberty Township, Ohio) would follow with a sacrifice fly to right field, driving in Cunningham. Kayla Koch (SR/Lucasville, Ohio) would hit into a lineout double play to end the inning, but not before Shawnee State took a 1-0 lead.
Georgetown would respond with a run in the bottom of the first. Chaselyn Allgeier would strike out to lead off the inning, but Tatum Wise's wild pitch on strike three would see her reach first. Allgeier would steal second, then reach third on Corrin Robinson's fly-out to right. She would then break for home on Kara Howard's grounder to third, but Cunningham would throw home to Megan Shupert-Martin (JR/West Portsmouth, Ohio), who would tag out Allgeier; Howard reached second on the play at the plate. Despite the baserunning gaffe, Skyelar Houston would ensure Georgetown would get something in the inning, singling to shallow right-center and driving in Howard to tie the game at 1-1.
The Tigers would push three across in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Alexis Arnold would lead off by drawing a walk. Hannah Howes would then single through shortstop to put two on with nobody out. Cassidy Janes would then attempt to lay down a sacrifice bunt, and would reach first when Shupert-Martin's throw to first was too low for Saunders to handle, loading the bases. After Allgeier struck out, Shupert-Martin would allow a passed ball, allowing Arnold to score. Robinson would draw a walk in the at-bat, and Howard would follow with a long single off the wall in center field, scoring both Howes and Janes to give Georgetown a 4-1 lead.
Georgetown would tack on another run in the bottom of the third. With one out, Arnold would reach on a bunt single toward first base. Howes would follow with a long single down the left field line. With two outs, Allgeier would hit a pop-up on the infield that Shawnee State shortstop Haley Rawlins (SO/South Point, Ohio) would drop, allowing Arnold to score and Howes and Allgeier to reach third and second, respectively. Shawnee State would get out of the jam, but the Tigers would extend their lead to 5-1 after three innings.
The Tigers would continue to push the lead in the bottom of the fifth, pushing across two more runs with two outs. With one out, Alexis Arnold would hit an infield single behind the pitcher's mound. With two outs, Georgetown would pinch-hit Cassidy James, who would line a triple into the gap in right-center, scoring Arnold to give Georgetown a 6-1 lead. Allgeier would follow with a sharp grounder back up the middle for a single, scoring James to put Georgetown ahead 7-1 after five. Shawnee State would attempt to rally in the top of the sixth, but would strand the bases loaded to fall to Georgetown 7-1.
Hannah Morton got the win, allowing one run on three hits in five innings to stifle the Shawnee State offense. Tatum Wise took the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in five innings.
The loss sees Shawnee State end the season 27-22, with the Bears being eliminated from the Mid-South Conference Tournament. Georgetown improves to 32-16 on the season. The 27-22 record is the best for Shawnee State since the 2014 season, and the first season SSU has finished above .500 under Steve Whittaker.
For continued coverage of Shawnee State softball, go to ssubears.com.
