Pitt-Johnstown couldn't string enough hits together to keep pace with Indiana (Pa.) in a 12-0 loss in the opener. However, the Mountain Cats turned the tables in the nightcap when Kayla Miehl blasted a two-run walk-off home run as part of a three-run seventh inning that punctuated a come-from-behind 12-11 victory and earned them a split in a PSAC West doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.
The Mountain Cats now sit at 6-18 overall and 3-9 in the conference. The Hawks possess a 22-13 overall record with an 8-7 mark in the PSAC West.
Next to nothing went the Mountain Cats' way in game one after they found themselves down 6-0 after the first inning. The Hawks pounded out 16 hits and methodically added to their advantage by scoring at least a run in all five innings.
Freshman starter Addison Hilligsberg suffered the loss in the circle. Julie Shinavski came on in relief to throw the final 3.2 innings.
Miehl, Julia Mooney and Shaylin Hagerman each recorded singles to account for the three hits the Mountain Cats mustered against IUP starter Kendall Young, who notched the complete-game win.
The second game initially had the same type of feel when the Hawks constructed a 9-3 lead thanks to three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
But the Mountain Cats responded accordingly when the first four batters reached safely and scored in their half of the fifth. Miehl singled, Mia Smith walked and Brynnae Coe slapped an RBI single to bring home pinch-runner Sydney Mitchell and make it 9-4. Jenna Tallman followed and punctuated the inning with a three-run home run to cut the deficit down to 9-7.
The deficit was three heading into the bottom of the sixth. Mooney led off with a single and was replaced on the basepaths by Hagerman, who scored two batters later on an RBI single by Brynnae Coe. Miehl, who walked earlier in the inning, became the ninth run after coming home on Jenna Tallman's sacrifice fly.
Delaney Patella hit a solo home run to give the Hawks an insurance run, but it didn't deter the Mountain Cats from starting a rally in their final at-bat that began with Tori Radvan's leadoff home run that made it 10-9.
Despite an IUP pitching change, freshman Meghan McDonough stroked a single and one batter later, Miehl's game-winning shot put the exclamation point on a 3-for-4 performance that included a game-high five RBIs and three runs scored.
Tallman finished 2-for-3 with a season-high four runs driven in. Coe notched her second three-hit game in as many days after recording three singles against California (Pa.) on Tuesday. Radvan also reached base four times, contributed three hits and scored a pair of runs.
Mia Smith was the winner in the circle for the Mountain Cats after going the distance, allowing 11 runs, eight earned, while scattering 14 hits with four strikeouts and six walks.
Pitt-Johnstown entertains Edinboro in another PSAC West doubleheader on Friday beginning at 2 p.m.
