After a 5-2 loss to Indiana (PA) in Saturday's first game of a PSAC Western Division softball doubleheader at V.E. Erickson Complex, Pitt-Johnstown battled back from a three-run deficit with the help of
Jade Stubblefield's solo homerun and
Maddie Flowers' two-run shot, but Kaitlin Beers solo homer in the top of the seventh lifted the Crimson Hawks to a 5-4 victory. The Mountain Cats slipped to 5-17 overall and 5-15 in conference-play.
In game one, Indiana (PA) took advantage of four Mountain Cat errors on its way to the 5-2 win.
Renee Wall doubled to center on the first pitch of the game, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on Faith Jones' sacrifice fly to give IUP a 1-0 advantage.
Pitt-Johnstown loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the second and was able to push a run across to tie it. When
Laura Fox's ground ball was misplayed by IUP second baseman Beers allowing
Bree Ginther, who led off the inning with a base hit, to score from third.
A sacrifice fly from Haleigh Zimmerman in the top of the third gave the Crimson Hawks an unearned run and the lead, before another unearned run in the fourth made it 3-1.
The Crimson Hawks added another run in the sixth. Margret Russo walked with two outs and scored from first on Wall's single to right-center.
Beers added a solo homer to left center in the top of the seventh, before Pitt-Johnstown set the final at 5-2 with a run in its half of the seventh.
Olivia Porter doubled to lead off the inning and scored on
Taylor Mendicino's single to center.
Mendicino had a hit and an RBI, while Fox drove in a run for the Mountain Cats. Porter doubled, and
Ali Belgiovane and Ginther each singled for Pitt-Johnstown.
Kristen Coffay slipped to 4-6 after allowing five runs (3 earned) on eight hits in seven innings in the circle.
IUP got a complete-game from Hope Jones, who improved to 5-3. Jones held Pitt-Johnstown to two runs on four hits.
Wall had three hits, including a double and an RBI, and Beers collected three hits, including a solo homer to pace the Crimson Hawks.
In game two, Pitt-Johnstown rallied from a three-run deficit to take a one run lead, but Beers' solo homer in the top of the seventh broke a 4-all tie and lifted the Crimson Hawks to the 5-4 sweep.
Zimmerman gave IUP an early lead with a sacrifice fly at scored Wall in the top of the first, before Beers' two-out, two-run homer to left in the third made it 3-0.
Pitt-Johnstown battled back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead. Stubblefield led off with a solo homerun to right. Belgiovane walked and scored on Flowers' two-run homer to right center, before Porter singled and advanced to third on a two base error.
Tori Radvan's fielder's choice allowed Porter to score to give the Mountain Cats a 4-3 lead.
The Crimson Hawks tied it at four with an unearned run in the top of the fifth.
It stayed that way until the top of the seventh, when Beers connected for her third homerun of the day, a solo homer to center, that broke the tie and put the IUP on top, 5-4.
Ashley Pagliei fell to 0-6 after giving up five runs (4 earned) on six hits in a complete-game effort. Pagliei struck out three and walked four.
Stubblefield was 3-for-4 with a solo homer, and Flowers added a two-run homer for the Mountain Cats.
Tori Radvan had two hits, including a triple, and an RBI, while
Stacey Walling, Porter, and Belgiovane also had hits for Pitt-Johnstown.
Beers belted a pair of homeruns and drove in three and Zimmerman had two hits and a RBI for the Crimson Hawks.
Amanda Fischer improved to 6-2 after holding the Mountain Cats to a run on three hits over the final four innings.
With the sweep, IUP improved to 13-9 overall and 12-8 in the PSAC West.
Pitt-Johnstown goes to Shippensburg for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, before starting a four-game, home-and-home PSAC Western Division series against California (PA) on Friday at 2:30 and 4:30 at V.E. Erickson Complex.
