Taylor Mendicino connected for her third home run of the season and finished with three hits, but D'Youville (NY) University swept a pair of non-conference softball games from the Mountain Cats in Pitt-Johnstown's 2022 home-opener, Wednesday afternoon at V.E. Erickson Complex. The Saints took the opener, 6-4, before earning a 3-1 win in the nightcap. The Mountain Cats are now 6-3.
In game on, D'Youville jumped out to a 6-1 third-inning lead and held off Pitt-Johnstown, 6-4.
Hannah Bardeen's two-run homer to center in the top of the first gave the Saints an early lead, before Bardeen connected for another two-run shot in a four-run third inning that put D'Youville on top 6-0.
Pitt-Johnstown got a run back on Mendicino's solo home run to center to lead off the bottom of the third and three unearned runs in the fourth that got the Mountain Cats to within two.
Hannah Gnibus scored from second on
Olivia Porter's bunt single, before Pitt-Johnstown loaded the bases and got a two-out two-run single from
Carly Santillo that plated Porter and Mendicino to make it 6-4.
Then Mountain cats loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but D'Youville reliever Lauren Booth was able to work out of the jam to earn the two-inning save.
Mendicino went 2-for-3 with a homer, an RBI, and two runs, while Porter and
Lauren Gohacki each had a pair of hits for the Mountain Cats. Santillo added a hit and drove in two.
Alyssa Hileman took the loss and fell to 4-1 after allowing six runs on seven hits over the first 2.1 innings.
Julie Shinavski pitched the final 4.2 innings and held the Saints scoreless on two hits, while striking out four.
Bardeen had three hits, including two home runs and four RBI to lead D'Youville.
In game two, D'Youville held a slim, 2-1, lead through four innings, then added an insurance run in the sixth in the 3-1 victory.
The Saints jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Ava Miller's base hit in the top of the second.
Laura Fox's line drive that was misplayed by D'Youville shortstop Gianna Adamo in the Mountain Cat fourth allowed
Tori Radvan to score from second to cut the deficit in half.
An unearned run in the top of the six increased the Saints' lead to 3-1.
Kelsi Terzolino went 2-for-3, while
Julia Mooney,
Kayla Miehl, and Mendicino collected one hit each for the Mountain Cats.
Tori Radvan slipped to 0-2 after surrendering three runs (2 earned) on six hits in seven innings in the circle. Radvan fanned five and walked two.
The Saints got two hits and an RBI from Laura Beck and two hits from Maddy Pepke.
Cassie Crerar tossed a complete game and held Pitt-Johnstown to a run on five hits.
The Mountain Cats visit Bowie State (MD) for a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday, before returning home to host a pair of non-conference games against Shippensburg, Sunday afternoon starting at 1:00 at V.E. Erickson Complex.
