Pitt-Johnstown began to climb back late only to suffer an 8-6 loss in the opener before being knocked off 12-8 in the nightcap of a PSAC West doubleheader against Edinboro on Monday afternoon.
The Mountain Cats slipped to 6-22 overall with a 3-13 mark in the conference. The Scots swept the four-game season series to move to 9-17 and 6-8 in the PSAC West.
After going down 6-2, the Mountain Cats tightened the score in game one with a pair of runs in the sixth. Audrey Paterson reached on an error and went to third on Isabella DePalma's double. Hannah Gnibus drove in Paterson with an RBI groundout and Tori Radvan scored pinch-runner Shaylin Hagerman on a double to the right-center field gap to make it 6-4.
Edinboro responded with two runs in its half of the sixth that ultimately decided the outcome. A two-run home run with two outs off the bat of Paterson brought the Mountain Cats within two, but a flyout to center field brought the game to a close.
Mia Smith took the loss, giving up five runs, four earned, on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk in 3.2 innings. Julie Shinavski surrendered three runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of relief.
Radvan and Julia Mooney each finished 2-for-4 with a double. Jenna Tallman added two hits. Kayla Miehl drilled a two-RBI double in the third that provided the Mountain Cats with a short-lived 2-1 lead.
The second contest featured 15 combined runs in the first three innings. The Scots collected five hits in the first and jumped out to a 4-0 advantage.
Tallman's one-out homer in the second made it 4-1. The Mountain Cats found themselves down 6-1 before sending 11 hitters to the plate in a five-run third inning that included four hits, the biggest of those coming from Tallman, who launched her second home run of the afternoon—a three-run shot that tied the game at 6-all.
The Scots notched three runs on four hits to take the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. Once again, the Mountain Cats pulled to within one after securing a pair of runs on one hit with the help of an error in the fifth. But it was quickly erased after Edinboro scored the final three runs of the game to cap the scoring.
Addison Hilligsberg was charged with the loss after allowing nine runs, five earned, on 11 hits in 2.1 innings. Shinavski again came on in relief and gave up three earned runs on three hits in the remaining 3.2 innings.
The Mountain Cats will visit PSAC West-leading Seton Hill for a doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 2:30 p.m.
