Stacey Walling's two-run double in the top of the seventh highlighted a four-run rally that lifted Pitt-Johnstown to a 4-3 victory to open Sunday's PSAC doubleheader at IUP. The Crimson Hawks came back with a 4-0 win in game two to earn the split. Pitt-Johnstown ended the 2019 season at 19-19 overall and 9-11 in the PSAC Central Division.
In game one, Renee Wall led off the IUP second inning with a walk and eventually scored on a passed ball to give the Crimson Hawks a 1-0 lead.
IUP made it 2-0 in the fifth on Kaitlyn Beers' double that scored Rachel Rodriguez.
Pitt-Johnstown rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh.
Ashley Shor walked,
Morgan Cannin reached on a fielder's choice and
Jade Stubblefield walked to load the bases.
Kristie Radvan's RBI single down the left field line cut it to 2-1, before Walling drove in Cannin and Stubblefield with a double to right to give the Mountain Cats the lead. Back-to-back walks to
Ali Belgiovane and
Lauren Gohacki forced home another run to put Pitt-Johnstown in front 4-2.
The Crimson Hawks got a lead-off double in the bottom of the seventh from Karley Kovatch and an RBI single from Lauren Goetz to narrow it to 4-3, but
Kristen Coffay was able to work out of the jam to preserve the 4-3 victory and close out the complete-game.
Coffay gave up three runs on seven hits to improve to 8-9. Coffay also struck out five and walked two.
Radvan went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Walling doubled and drove in a pair to lead the Mountain Cat comeback.
Lauren Zola fell to 5-14 after surrendering five runs (3 earned) on five Pitt-Johnstown hits over the first 6 1/3 innings.
In game two, Beers doubled to lead off the IUP second and scored on Sarah Hull's RBI single to put the Crimson Hawks on top 1-0.
RBI singles from Rodriguez and Jenna Rhue, sandwiched around a sacrifice fly from Wall in the IUP third increased it to 4-0, and that was all the Crimson Hawks would need.
Olivia Porter and Stubblefield each had two hits for the Mountain Cats.
Ashley Pagliei took the loss and slipped to 4-5 after giving up four runs on nine hits in four innings in the circle.
Rodriguez had two hits and an RBI, and Kassie Kesneck added two hits for IUP.
With the split, IUP is 15-27-1 overall and 10-9 in the PSAC Central.