Pippa Passes: The Alice Lloyd College Lady Eagles softball team returned home on Monday as they hosted the University of Pikeville Lady Bears. After the dust had settled, the hosts finished with a split.
March 29
GAME 1: Alice Lloyd-2; UPike-7
The Lady Eagles socked two home runs but still came up on the short end of the stick.
In the second inning, UP showed a preview of things to come as they hit a two-run blast to strike first (0-2). The hosts earned one run back in their half of the third when senior Jada Estep homered (1-2).
Things would remain unchanged until the sixth. That is when ALC would tie the score after sophomore Lyndsey Adkins pummeled a shot over the left-field wall (2-2).
Unfortunately for the home club, the wheels fell off in the final inning. Two doubles, a homer, and six singles propelled the Bears towards 5 big runs (2-7). Alice Lloyd produced a single in their final at-bat, but that was all they would get as the guests held on for the win.
For ALC, the club would be held to just 3 hits overall, including the 2 home-runs. Sophomore Haley Howell suffered the loss but allowed only 3 runs in 6 innings of work. Pikeville dominated the hitting battle, 15-3.
GAME 2: Alice Lloyd- 6, UPike-5
Once the Lady Eagles grabbed the lead, they never relinquished it in earning the split.
Pikeville struck quickly as they put up a two-spot in their opening bat (0-2). However, the Pippa Passes Crew responded in their first attempt to bat with two of their own. Back-to-back doubles from Estep and sophomore Alexis Morris, combined with a single from freshman Baylee Cox produced the runs (2-2). The home club kept the momentum on their side one inning later, as 4 singles produced 2 more runs (4-2).
The Bears tied things in the top half of the third (4-4), but the Lady Eagles answered right back in the bottom half. Aspyn Branham doubled and Abigail Stambaugh followed later with a single to earn those 2 runs right back (6-4). The Pikeville squad made things tense in the sixth when they used a double to slice the deficit in half (6-5), but the final two batters would fly out to end the bleeding.
In their final at-bat, the visitors would have the go-ahead runs on second and third with two outs. Fortunately for the hometown club, the final Bear batter would go out swinging to end the contest.
For the Eagles, Estep, Morris, and senior Samantha Sturgill all had 2 hits apiece while Adkins produced 3 RBI’S. On the mound, sophomore Kurston Napier allowed 8 hits and 5 runs over six innings. Cox came in to spell the relief. They combined to whiff 4 batters. Alice Lloyd won the hitting battle 10-9, and had 2 errors to UPike’s 1.