COLUMBIA, Ky. – The No. 8-ranked Lindsey Wilson softball team opened up Mid-South Conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Pikeville Saturday at Lindsey Wilson Park.

The Blue Raiders (14-7, 2-0 MSC) won the opener 3-2 on a Sydney Fourman walk-off single, and picked up an 8-0 victory in game two (five innings) hitting two home runs in the game.

Game 1 – Lindsey Wilson 3, Pikeville 2

Lindsey Wilson had the opportunity to strike first in the first inning. Callum Pilgrim led off the inning with a single and then advanced to second on a stolen base. A pop out, strikeout and ground out ended the early Blue Raider threat.

Lindsey Wilson struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning with both runs coming with two outs. After two fly outs to begin the innings Cassie Kooker reached on an infield single. Amber Foukes then doubled to deep right-center field to put the Blue Raiders in front 1-0. Bailey Mize recorded the third two-out hit of the inning with a double to deep-left center field that scored Foukes to increase the lead to 2-0.

The Bears (6-12, 0-2 MSC) had runners on first and second with no outs to begin the fifth inning after a leadoff single and a walk. Casey Bryan struckout the next three batters to end the scoring threat.

Pikeville was able to tie things up in the sixth inning pushing across two runs. Jordan Gentry began the inning with a leadoff single. Kitty Raymond then drew a walk to give the Bears runners on first and second with nobody out. Jillian Bohnert hit a single to left field to score Gentry and Raymond advanced to third on the throw home. A sacrifice fly tied the game at 2-2.

Foukes led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to left field. After a fly out, Megan Terrell and Abby Whelan each drew a walk to load the bases with one out. After Pilgrim flied out to left field Fourman drove home the winning run with a single to right-center.

Bryan (6-3) recorded the victory pitching a complete game. She matched a career-high in strikeouts with 12 while allowing five hits and giving up two earned runs.

Game 2- Lindsey Wilson 8, Pikeville 0

The Blue Raiders had runners on first and second in the bottom of the second with no outs after a leadoff single and an error by the second basemen. Whelan then recorded a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners over to second and third. After a fly out Kooker reached on a walk to load the bases. Pilgrim drove in two runs on a double to deep right-center field.

Lindsey Wilson increased its' lead to 4-0 in the third inning on a Mize sacrifice fly and a Whelan single. The Blue Raiders hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning. Pilgrim hit her first home run of the season and Fourman recorded her team-high fifth home run to give Lindsey Wilson a 6-0 lead.

Mize, Whelan and Bailey Parsons all drew walks in the bottom of the fifth inning to load the bases with no outs. Kooker ended the game with a single to centerfield that scored two to induce the run rule.

Lauren Lett (4-2) picked up the victory allowing three hits and striking out six.

The Blue Raiders wrap up the series with Pikeville tomorrow in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. CT at Lindsey Wilson Park.