LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — SOMERSET—The Southern Kentucky Vipers 12U fastpitch travel team split a pair of games with the Lake Cumberland Crush as their record stands at 13-14 on the season.

Southern Kentucky was coming off a 2-3 effort in the Young Guns Invitational with wins over the B.C. Bandits and Central Kentucky Mudcats while losing to Kentucky Krossfire, Young Guns and Kentucky Chaos.

The Vipers will be back in action June 30 while participating in the T.S.T. All-Star Warm-up Tournament and July 6-8 in the ISA World Series in Crossville, Tenn.

Game One

Crush 4, Vipers 3

The Vipers saw a win slip away after making five errors during their 4-3 loss to the Crush.

Southern Kentucky jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, as Tori Byrd led the inning off with a walk while Becca Riley advanced Byrd to second with a sacrifice bunt. Maddie Frazier followed with a walk and Byrd eventually scored on a wild pitch to give her team a 1-0 lead.

The Vipers weren’t finished, though. Courtney Foley delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to give her team a 2-0 edge.

Lake Cumberland answered in the bottom of the second inning with two runs of its own by taking advantage of two errors while plating two unearned runs.

The Vipers struck back with a run in the top of the third inning, as Leslie Dixon led off with a single and stole second and third base and was driven in by Brianda Owens, as Southern Kentucky managed to claim a 3-2 edge.

The Vipers continued to hold on to the slim lead until the bottom of the sixth inning, as the Crush picked up the win by scoring two more unearned runs after taking advantage of three errors by Southern Kentucky.

Brianda Owens took the loss on the mound, but limited the Crush to only one hit while striking out seven batters.

Dixon, Byrd, Frazier and Foley each finished the game with a hit for the Vipers, while Byrd, Hannah Vires, Lauren Smith and Foley each collected a walk. Kenlee Rogers and Vires also had run-saving catches during the game.

Game Two

Vipers 13, Crush 2

The Vipers scored early and often against Lake Cumberland and pulled out an easy 13-2 win.

Southern Kentucky scored a run in the first inning, as Dixon and Halia Stidham each came through with hits and Dixon was driven in by Byrd’s single to right field.

The Vipers added four more runs in the second inning, as Riley, Foley, Owens and Byrd each had hits in the inning. Byrd’s two-run double highlighted the inning while Owens and Dixon also drove in a run as Southern Kentucky build a comfortable 5-0 lead.

The Vipers put the game away with six runs in the third inning, as Dixon connected with a run-scoring double while Smith and Harleigh Grubb connected with hits. Dixon, Stidham, Byrd, Grubb, Frazier and Foley each scored during the inning.

Southern Kentucky put the finishing touches on the win with two more runs in the fifth inning, as Grubb drove in a run while Stidham scored by stealing home.

Byrd led the way with a three-hit effort and three RBI while Dixon and Grubb each had two hits apiece. Dixon and Owens also drove in two runs apiece during the win. Smith, Owens, Riley, Stidham and Foley each had a hit apiece in the win, as Smith and Grubb each drove in a run, too.

Owens picked up the win on the mound by tossing four inning, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out three batters. Foley tossed one scoreless inning and allowed one hit while striking out a batter.