Pitt-Johnstown secured its first conference victory by way of a 7-6 decision in game one before suffering an 8-0 setback in game two in a PSAC West softball doubleheader opposite of Gannon on Thursday afternoon.

The split puts the Mountain Cats at 4-14 overall with a 1-5 mark in PSAC play. The Golden Knights are now an even 7-7 overall and 2-2 in the conference.

Sophomore Mia Smith proved to be the catalyst in the opener, allowing just five hits and striking out a career-high 14 hitters in a complete-game victory. She also recorded two hits at the plate, including an RBI single, scored a pair of runs and walked twice.

The Mountain Cats notched a run in the first when Tori Radvan walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Meghan McDonough. Smith's two-out single up the middle made it 1-0.

Kayla Miehl hammered a solo home run to straight away centerfield to increase the lead to 2-0. Four straight singles to begin the fourth by Smith, Jenna Tallman and Brynnae Coe were capped off by Shaylin Hagerman's two-RBI base hit that pushed it to 4-0.

After the Golden Knights cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning, Coe's critical two-RBI single with two outs in the fifth brought home pinch runners Krista Brunson and Sydney Mitchell to restore the four-run lead.

The score remained 6-2 until Ashley Fox's three-run home run allowed the Golden Knights to knot the game at 6-all. But Smith once again helped herself in the seventh when she walked with one out, moved to second after Tallman drew a walk and eventually scored on Hagerman's RBI double.

Smith struck out the first two batters in the seventh and induced a groundout to shortstop Hannah Gnibus off the bat of Josie Spano to end it. Spano took the loss in relief for the Golden Knights after allowing three runs on four hits in four innings of work.

Gannon decisively turned the tables in the second game with a six-spot in the third inning off a combination of starter Julie Shinavski and reliever Addison Hilligsberg. Shinavski suffered the loss in the circle after letting up six runs on seven hits.

Julia Mooney doubled and drew a walk. McDonough had a single and walked once as the Mountain Cats were held to four total base runners by Golden Knights' winning pitcher Maggie Lenda (3-2).

Pitt-Johnstown hosts Mercyhurst in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday before matching up with Slippery Rock in a pair of games on Saturday for what will be Senior Day at the freshly renovated softball field.