Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SALEM, WV - The Salem International University Tigers dropped a pair of games against Ohio Valley University on Wednesday afternoon (Mar. 22) at Hope Field in Salem, West Virginia. The Fighting Scots spoiled the Tigers' home opener by sweeping a twin bill from SIU, 4-0 & 4-2. SIU was limited to two hits in game one and saw the Scots plate three runs in the top of the fourth inning of game two, breaking a 1-1 tie.

Senior second baseman Vanessa Jimenez went 2-for-5 on the day with one run batted in for SIU, while freshman first baseman Naomi Smout went 1-for-3 at the plate in game two with a double and one RBI.

The Tigers are set to face the University of Charleston on Thursday afternoon (Mar. 23) in a rescheduled doubleheader from earlier this season. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the UC Softball Field in Charleston, West Virginia.

In game one, junior pitcher Kayla Lynch would breeze through the top of the first inning by retiring the Fighting Scots in order. Jimenez opened the bottom of the first with a walk for SIU and would later swipe second base. Jimenez worked her way to third base via passed ball with junior catcher Hanna Crew at the plate. Crew gave the Tigers runners on the corners with her walk. A stolen base by Crew setup the Tigers with a pair of runners in scoring position with no-outs but a strikeout followed by a groundout would foil the early opportunity for an SIU lead.

OVU responded by plating a pair of runs against Lynch in the top of the second inning; including a solo home run from Arianna Escobar. Both teams would trade zero's on the scoreboard until the top of the fifth inning as OVU increased its lead to 3-0 with an infield single.

Kyle Doelling recorded her second hit of the game for the Fighting Scots with a solo home run down the left field line against Lynch in the top of the seventh inning to give OVU a 4-0 lead.

Freshman Morgan Atkinson started the bottom of the seventh inning with a single into center field but would go no further as three-consecutive fly balls ended the contest.

Lynch (4-7) suffered the complete-game loss for the Tigers, allowing four runs on six hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Melinda Koppinger (3-5) earned the win for OVU, going the distance in a three-hit shutout performance for the Fighting Scots. Koppinger walked two batters and fanned three.

In game two, the Fighting Scots scored the first-run of the contest in the top of the first inning against SIU junior pitcher Katie Holestin. A single to lead-off the inning followed by a sacrifice bunt put a runner in scoring position for OVU. That setup the opportunity for Escobar to make it 1-0 with her single up the middle and score the runner from second base.

After keeping OVU off of the scoreboard in the top of the second inning, the Tigers delivered back-to-back doubles from Crew and Smout to knot the score 1-1. SIU looked to take the lead in the frame but Escobar recorded the next three outs to strand Smout on second base.

The game remained tied until a three-run out-burst from the Fighting Scots in the top of the fourth inning. Three Tiger errors in the frame would contribute to two of the runs scoring for OVU.

SIU trimmed the OVU lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning as Jimenez singled to right field to score sophomore Jordan Whitaker from second base. That would be the closest that SIU came to tying the score with the Fighting Scots as Escobar retired the final six batters of the game to preserve the 4-2 victory for OVU.

Holestin (3-5) was handed with the loss after allowing four runs (one earned) on eight hits over seven innings of work. She walked two batters and fanned two batters in the game. Escobar (2-2) tossed a complete-game for the Fighting Scots, scattering five hits and allowing only two runs. She fanned one batter and recorded 13 fly-outs in the contest.

Gabrielle Bennett went 3-for-4 with one RBI in the lead-off spot for OVU, while teammate Elizabeth Fleeson went 2-for-2 with one RBI.