Stacey Walling's walk-off RBI single capped a two-run seventh inning and lifted the Pitt-Johnstown softball team to a 3-2 victory and a non-conference split with Shippensburg in the Mountain Cats' home-opener, Sunday afternoon at V.E. Erickson Complex. The Raiders took the opener, 7-3. Pitt-Johnstown is now 8-6 on the year.
In the opener, Shippensburg erased a three-run deficit with a five-run fifth inning and went on to the 7-3 victory.
Pitt-Johnstown loaded the bases in the first inning and came away with three runs.
Morgan Cannin led off with a double,
Olivia Porter singled, and both scored on
Kristie Radvan's double off the centerfield wall. The Mountain Cats made it 3-0 on
Carly Santillo's sacrifice fly that scored
Jade Stubblefield.
Pitt-Johnstown starter
Kristen Coffay kept it that way until the fifth when Shippensburg answered with five runs, highlighted by Courtney Coy's grand slam to
center, that put the Raiders on top, 5-3.
Shippensburg added an unearned run in its half of the sixth, and Hannah Johnson's double down the right field line in the seventh scored Grace Palmieri to increase it to 7-3.
Radvan went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Santillo added an RBI for the Mountain Cats. Pitt-Johnstown also got a double from Cannin and base hits
Lauren Gohacki, Porter, and Stubblefield.
Coffay took the loss and slipped to 3-2 after surrendering five earned runs on eight hits over the first four innings.
Ashley Pagliei pitched the final three innings and allowed two runs (1 earned) on four hits.
Morgan DeFeo went 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Coy belted a grand slam for Shippensburg. Kayla Bonawitz, Hannah Marsteller, and Morgan Fetter also had two hits for the Raiders.
Shippensburg got a complete-game in the circle from Tressa Kagarise. Kagarise, who improved to 8-1, held Pitt-Johnstown to three first inning runs and scattered eight hits in seven innings.
In the nightcap, Pitt-Johnstown used a two-run seventh inning, including Walling's walk-off hit, to secure the split with the 3-2 win.
Back-to-back two-out doubles in the top of the first by Coy and Marstellar gave the Raiders a quick 1-0 lead, before Lacey Hinter's RBI single in the second made it 2-0.
Radvan's solo home run to center in the Pitt-Johnstown half of the third cut the deficit in half and it stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh.
Porter singled with one out and moved to second on a Shippensburg fielding error. Stubblefield followed with an infield single that moved Porter to third. Stubblefield then stole second. Porter scored on a wild pitch to knot it at two and Stubblefield advanced to third with two outs. Walling came through with a base hit to right-center that scored Stubblefield and gave Pitt-Johnstown the walk-off victory.
Walling went 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI, while Porter added two hits, and Radvan homered for the Mountain Cats.
Alyssa Hileman picked up her third win of the season in relief of Pagliei. Hileman held the Raiders scoreless on four hits over the final five innings. Pagliei pitched the first two innings and gave up five runs (2 earned) on five hits.
Pitt-Johnstown will host Edinboro for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at V.E. Erickson Complex, before opening PSAC-play at Mansfield on Friday.
