The Shawnee State Bears closed out an impressive season with 36 wins, bowing out of the River States Conference Tournament in South Charleston, West Virginia, on Friday. While the final day brought a mix of triumph and heartbreak, the program's three-year run at the NAIA level is one for the record books.
The Bears opened the day with a gritty 9-4 victory over Brescia (Kentucky) to stay alive in the consolation bracket, but later fell to Rio Grande (5-3) and Indiana-Columbus (7-2) to end their tournament run. Over the last three seasons, Shawnee State has amassed 99 wins and posted a stellar 72-28 record in RSC regular-season play—a testament to the program's sustained excellence.
In the win over Brescia, the Bears came out swinging. A first-inning rally, sparked by Jenna Christopher's RBI bunt single and a steal, set the tone. Senior first baseman Gabby Adams delivered a two-run single to left, giving Shawnee State an early 2-0 lead. The score stayed tight until the fourth inning, when local standouts Kennedy Davis and Christopher—both Huntington natives and Spring Valley High School graduates—drew two-out walks. Wheelersburg's Haley Myers then laced a two-run single to right, pushing the lead to 4-0.
Adams continued her hot streak in the fifth, launching a 1-0 pitch to the left-center gap and eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly by Keegan Uhl to make it 5-0. Brescia fought back in the sixth, cutting the lead to 5-4 with a three-run triple from Emma Kate Elrod. But Shawnee State answered emphatically in the bottom half. Lexie Lockwood singled, Davis sacrificed her to second, and Christopher walked to set the stage. Myers delivered an RBI single, and after a wild pitch, Adams singled to bring in Christopher. Sydney Skiver, also from Wheelersburg, capped the rally with a two-run double to left, sealing the 9-4 victory.
Sophomore pitcher Gabby McConnell, a Circleville native, earned the win in the circle, keeping the Bears' hopes alive for one more game. Though the season ended sooner than hoped, Shawnee State's 36-win campaign and dominant three-year stretch have set a high bar for the future—proving that this program is built to compete.