Pitt-Johnstown used strong pitching from
Kayla Miehl to bounce back from a 9-0 loss in Tuesday's non-conference opener at IUP with a 4-0 victory over the Crimson Hawks in the nightcap. Miehl limited IUP to just three hits in the game two shutout to help the Mountain Cats improve to 10-5.
In game one, IUP jumped out to a quick first inning lead on Jenna Rhue's two-run homer to right, before Joelle Snyder's two-run base hit in the Crimson Hawks' second drove in two more to make it 4-0.
Paige Truax singled home two more to highlight a four-run IUP third inning and the Crimson Hawks went on to the 9-0 victory.
Miehl doubled, and
Olivia Porter and
Laura Fox each had base hits for the Mountain Cats.
Alyssa Hileman slipped to 6-2 after allowing nine runs on 12 hits over the first four innings.
Snyder, Rhue, and Truax all drove in a pair for IUP, while Amanda Fischer earned the shutout in the circle for the Crimson Hawks. Fischer scattered three hits, struck out two, and walked one.
In game two, the Mountain Cats scored a run in each of the first and third innings to open-up a lead and rode Miehl's strong pitching to secure the split with the 4-0 win.
Pitt-Johnstown took advantage of two IUP errors to scratch out a run in the top of the first. Porter reached on a throwing error to lead off the game, moved to second on
Taylor Mendicino's sacrifice bunt, then to third on a
Carly Santillo ground out. Porter eventually scored when Miehl's ground ball was misplayed by Crimson Hawks' third baseman Jordan Sylvia.
The Mountain Cats loaded the bases with one out in the third and got an RBI ground out from
Tori Radvan that plated Santillo to make it 2-0.
Pitt-Johnstown added two more insurance runs in the seventh. Mendicino doubled to lead off the inning, and Miehl followed two batters later with an RBI double to left. After moving to third on a passed ball, Halei Markee pinch-ran for Miehl and scored on Fox's sacrifice fly.
Miehl got her first start of the year and held the Crimson Hawks hitless through the first 3.2 innings. Miehl only allowed a fourth inning single, a leadoff triple in the fifth, and a seventh inning double to pick-up the win and improve to 1-0. She fanned three and didn't give up a walk in the complete-game effort.
Maddie Flowers went 3-for-4 with a double, while Radvan had two hits, and Miehl doubled and drove in a run for the Mountain Cats. Mendicino doubled, and Porter and Santillo each collected a hit and scored a run.
With the split, the Crimson Hawks are now 7-9.
Pitt-Johnstown continues a stretch of five straight road doubleheaders at Seton Hill on Tuesday and at Bloomsburg on April 2. Pitt-Johnstown will return home to host PSAC West doubleheaders against Slippery Rock on April 8 and Mercyhurst on April 9 at V.E. Erickson Complex.
