SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The University of Pikeville softball team was on the road Saturday and lost two games at Spartanburg Methodist College by scores of 3-0 and 7-6.
It was the first time the Bears had been swept since March 3.
UPike is now 20-10 on the season and 10-8 in the AAC. It will play host to Bryan (Tenn.) College on Tuesday afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. at Paul Butcher Field.
Spartanburg Methodist is now 24-9 overall, 7-7 in the league.
Pioneers 3, Bears 0: SMC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first and added an insurance run in the fourth for the win in the opener.
The Bears had six hits but couldn’t get the one they needed, leaving eight runners on base in the course of the game. They left two on in each of the fourth, sixth and seventh innings.
Shortstop Alexis Emery had a double for the Bears, with the other five hits being singles. They came from catcher Dani Crum, second baseman Kaden Dunlap, designated player Chloy Creech, third baseman Ashlyn Dixon and pinch hitter Rylee Carter.
Chloe Calton went six innings in the circle, scattering five hits, and slipped to 3-4 on the season.
Pioneers 7, Bears 6: Spartanburg Methodist erased a 3-0 UPike lead with a seven-run fifth inning, and that was enough to survive a three-run top of the seventh to hold on for the win.
The Bears got on the scoreboard first as Creech hit her first collegiate home run in the fourth to put the Bears in front 2-0. The lead grew to 3-0 in the fifth when Crum reached on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dunlap.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Pioneers needed only four hits to post their seven runs. They took advantage of two walks and a hit batsman.
The seventh-inning rally began with a one-out single to center by Crum. An out later, she moved to third on a single by Dunlap and came in when Harlee Quick singled to center. A double to right field by Carter scored Dunlap and Quick and pulled the Bears within a run, but she was left stranded.
Quick and Creech each had two of UPike’s nine hits in the game. Emery and first baseman Claudia Maness each had hits.
Chloe Bryant (5-3) pitched the first 4-1/3 innings and got the decision for the Bears.