Berry, Wolfenbarker lead Bears in doubleheader sweep of Pioneers; push softball program to highest single-season win total in 25 years

Over the past four seasons, the Shawnee State softball program has experienced various peaks and valleys -- as any program does in various ways.

However, senior pitcher Cassie Berry and senior utility player Brittani Wolfenbarker -- two Scioto County natives -- were among those who stuck to the course.

Both players saw the payoff of their work Monday afternoon in a thrilling doubleheader sweep of the Point Park Pioneers' softball program, as Berry blasted a solo home run to left field and threw a complete game four-hit shutout to lead the Bears to their 30th victory of the 2024 season with a 7-0 triumph over the Pioneers. This, in turn, clinched the first 30-win season for Shawnee State since 2006 in the process.

The second game, however, was arguably more thrilling, and more historic.

Down by a 4-1 tally through three innings of play, Shawnee State answered with a five-run fourth inning that was capped by Wolfenbarker's two-run homer to dead center, giving the Bears the lead for good in a 6-5 victory over Point Park that clinched the program's 31st win, the doubleheader sweep of the Pioneers, and the most victories in a single-season in 25 years -- when Shawnee State went 36-12.

All of these accomplishments, which have been done by head coach Kristen Bradshaw and assistant coaches Carrie Kyne and Jenna Jones in their first season with the program, are simply but a microcosm of what Shawnee State has accomplished this season.

The Bears (31-7, 21-7 River States Conference), who won 10 straight games to start the year, have reeled off winning streaks of seven, seven and four games over the balance of the season to this point, have posted 13 mercy rule victories in 38 games and have held an opponent to two runs or less in 23 out of their 38 affairs.

Lastly, Shawnee State, in nearly a quarter of its victories, have rallied from a deficit of some type to pull out a win, as the Bears have come from behind in nine different games to pull out a victory -- including Monday's Game 2 comeback against Point Park (20-20, 13-15 River States Conference).

Game 1

Rolling from the very beginning of Game 1, Cassie Berry, and Shawnee State, in general, were feeling it throughout. Berry wasted no time helping her own cause in the opening inning of action -- as the senior, with one gone in the opening frame, blasted a solo home run to left field to give herself and the Bears breathing room, helping Shawnee State establish a 1-0 lead after an inning of work.

From there, Berry kept firing darts, as the senior from West Portsmouth allowed just one hit total after the third inning of action and never showed signs of wear throughout her performance in her complete game four-hit shutout gem. Berry's performance was the senior's sixth complete game shutout of the year, and her third complete game shutout in the last 15 days alone.

While Berry cruised on in the circle, Shawnee State provided the necessary insurance to create distance from Point Park. In the sixth inning, Mackenzie Hale's leadoff double was followed by an RBI base knock by Allison Tom, which brought home courtesy runner Gracey McCullough to increase the Bears' lead to a 2-0 margin.

Then in the seventh and final frame, Berry got another scoring frame started as her double to center field was followed by an error that scored a run and a two-RBI double by Sierra Dunnagan that scored both Berry and Lauren Spears. An RBI groundout by Hale and a RBI base knock from Bianca Belo-Diaz finalized the scoring as the Bears collect an easy 7-0 triumph.

Game 2

While Game 1 proved to be smooth sailing for Shawnee State for much of the way, the Bears had to claw to seal the sweep in Game 2.

SSU, who took the early lead after a leadoff single by Sierra Dunnagan and a two-out RBI base knock by Lexie Lockwood in the same frame, fell behind after Point Park blitzed past Shawnee State with a four-run third frame that put the Bears behind by a 4-1 margin after three innings complete.

In a familiar position, however, Shawnee State, as they did eight times before Tuesday's doubleheader -- put the rally caps on.

A one-out double by Sierra Dunnagan, along with an error that plated a run, opened the door slightly for the Bears, and after a walk by Amariah Hoerner and a hit by pitch, the Bears slung the door wide open as Allison Tom shot a two-run double to center field, scoring both Dunnagan and Lockwood to tie the game.

If the door was widened with Tom's double, Wolfenbarker might as well have ripped the door off of the hinges -- as the senior followed Tom's extra base hit with a cataclysmic two-run homer to dead center to turn the 4-1 deficit after three innings of work into a 6-4 Shawnee State lead after four innings complete.

Point Park, however, didn't go away. A leadoff triple by Melanie Taylor in the very next frame and an RBI groundout allowed the Pioneers to close within 6-5, and in the sixth frame of work, Hayley O'Neill singled and an error put runners at the corners with two gone in the bottom of the sixth frame.

However, Hoerner -- a talented two-way player -- stepped up in a big way. Despite giving up seven hits and five earned runs in Tuesday's Game 2 affair, the sophomore showcased nerves of steel that would make those in the Steel City proud, as facing her third tight situation in two days, the Miamisburg product, who worked out of two bases loaded jams against Alice Lloyd on Saturday without allowing a run, forced Point Park to leave the tying run stranded at third base. The young talent then finished off a complete game effort of her own by retiring the Point Park side in order en route to her 11th win of the 2024 season.

Additional

Shawnee State (31-7, 21-7 RSC) was led offensively by Brittani Wolfenbarker (4-for-6, home run, walk, two RBI, run scored), Sierra Dunnagan (4-for-8, two doubles, three runs scored), Allison Tom (3-for-5, double, three RBI, two runs scored), Cassie Berry (3-for-6, home run, RBI, two runs scored) and Lexie Lockwood (2-for-4, two walks, RBI, run scored) in both contests.

The Bears, with their aforementioned conference record, hold a three-game lead on Rio Grande for the River States Conference's East Division crown with four games left to play. Shawnee State can effectively clinch the divisional crown if the Bears take care of business in a Friday afternoon doubleheader against West Virginia Tech at Doc Singleton Park in West Portsmouth, which begins at 3 p.m.

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