BLUEFIELD, Va. — April 21, 2025
With just two games left in the regular season, the Rams team showed grit, power, and promise during Monday's doubleheader split with the University of Pikeville at Graham Rec Park. The Rams took Game 1 with a strong 5-2 win, then battled hard in a narrow 7-6 loss in Game 2.
Now sitting at 13-29 overall and 4-19 in conference play, the Rams are looking to close the regular season on a high note when they face Union College this Thursday.
Game 1: Cox, Harris Lead the Way in 5-2 Win
Senior pitcher Hallie Cox turned in a masterful performance in the circle, tossing a complete game to earn her latest victory. She struck out six, allowed just two earned runs, and scattered seven hits across seven innings.
The Rams wasted no time offensively. In the first inning, Chloe Dillow and Alexis McDuffie reached base ahead of senior Kenidy Harris, who delivered a two-run double to center field. Bluefield extended the lead in the third, sparked again by Harris, who notched her second double and third RBI of the game. MacKenzie Franklin followed with an RBI double, and Hannah Hayes capped the frame with a run-scoring single to make it 5-1.
Cox and the defense did the rest, playing error-free ball and stranding seven Pikeville runners to secure the win. Offensively, six different Rams recorded hits, with contributions throughout the lineup.
Game 2: Rams' Rally Falls Just Short in 7-6 Loss
Despite falling behind early, Bluefield erupted for six unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-2 lead. The comeback was fueled by clutch hitting from upperclassmen and an electric two-run homer by Hannah Hayes.
MacKenzie Franklin got things rolling in the fourth with an RBI double to score Kenidy Harris. After Hayes' blast over the fence gave the Rams the lead, the bats stayed hot into the fifth. Chara Wootten drove in Delana Loflin, Dillow added an RBI double, and Harris chipped in with another RBI as Bluefield surged ahead.
Pikeville, however, answered with a six-run sixth inning—highlighted by a three-run homer from M. Horn—that swung the game back in their favor. Bluefield made a final push in the seventh, getting a pinch-hit single from Alondra Reeves, but couldn't plate the tying run.
Ali Glover showed fight in the circle, working through tough innings before Cox returned to close out the seventh with a quick 1-2-3.
Looking Ahead
The Rams will wrap up the 2025 regular season on Thursday with a road doubleheader against Union College. With strong senior leadership and flashes of brilliance at the plate and in the circle, Bluefield looks to finish the year with momentum.
