Olivia Porter belted a three-run homer and drove in five to lead Pitt-Johnstown to a 10-2, five-inning victory over Mercyhurst to open a PSAC Western Division doubleheader, Saturday afternoon at V.E. Erickson Complex. The Lakers came back with a 7-4 win in the nightcap. The Mountain Cats, now 4-12 overall and 4-10 in conference-play, will wrap-up the four-game series against Mercyhurst in Erie on Monday.
In game one, the Lakers jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first off of Pitt-Johnstown starter
Kristen Coffay, but Coffay bounced back and held Mercyhurst scoreless the rest of the way.
The Mountain Cats answered with five runs in the second.
Ali Belgiovane's two-run single scored
Taylor Mendicino and
Bree Ginther to tie it at two. A base hit by
Laura Fox put runners on first and second, before Porter belted a three-run homerun.
Pitt-Johnstown broke it open with five more in the fifth. Base hits from Ginther and Belgiovane, followed by Porter's two RBI single increased it to 7-2. An RBI ground out by
Kristie Radvan plated Porter, and
Carly Santillo's two-run hit scored
Hailei Markee and tori Radvan to make it 10-2 and close out the five-inning win.
Porter went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and five RBI, while Belgiovane had two hits, two RBI, and two runs for Pitt-Johnstown. The Mountain Cats also got a base hit and two RBI from Santillo and an RBI from
Kristie Radvan.
After allowing two hits and two first inning runs, Coffay held the Lakers scoreless on just three more hits over the final four innings to improve to 3-4. Coffay also struck out two and walked two.
In game two, Porter drove home Belgiovane with a base hit to give Pitt-Johnstown a 1-0 lead after two innings.
Natalie Graff connected for a two-run homer in a three-run Mercyhurst top of the third, but the Mountain cats came right back with three of their own in the bottom of the third.
Maddie Flowers came across to score on Ginther's base hit, and
Sydney Flinn's double scored Santillo and Ginther to to give the lead back to Pitt-Johnstown.
However, Allison Dejidas' lead-off homer in Mercyhurst fourth tied it at four and Cheyenne Hindman's RBI double in the in the fifth gave the lead to the Lakers for good.
Graff's second homerun of the day, a two-run shot in the Lakers half of the sixth, set the final at 7-4.
Flinn was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Porter and Ginther each had a hit and drove in a run for the Mountain Cats.
Stacey Walling,
Kristie Radvan, and Santillo also had one hit apiece.
Alyssa Hileman slipped to 1-5 after allowing seven runs (6 earned) on 11 hits in seven innings in the circle. Hileman fanned one and didn't allow a walk.
With the split, Mercyhurst is 9-7 overall and 9-7 in the PSAC West.
Pitt-Johnstown closes out the PSAC series against Mercyhurst with a doubleheader in Erie on Monday, before starting a four-game, home-and-homer series at Indiana (PA) on Friday. The Mountain Cats will then host the Crimson Hawks at V.E. Erickson Complex on Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m.
