Pitt-Johnstown couldn't dial up enough opportunities against Indiana (Pa.) starter Kendall Young and wound up on the wrong side of a 16-0 defeat in the opener. A four-run deficit early sent the Mountain Cats to an 8-3 loss to close the book on a PSAC West doubleheader on Friday afternoon.
The Mountain Cats are now 7-33 behind a 4-24 record in the conference. The Hawks moved to 28-22 overall to go with a 14-16 conference mark.
Tori Radvan was hit by a pitch to open game one. Julia Mooney reached on a fielding error with one out before Jenna Tallman walked with two outs to load the bases, but Young notched a strikeout to end the threat.
IUP then cashed in a 3-0 advantage courtesy of a three-run home run from Jordan Sylvia. The Hawks poured on five more on five hits in the third to make it 8-0. They notched 16 total hits, eight of those coming in an eight-run fourth inning that put the stamp on a mercy-rule shortened no-hitter from Young.
Freshman Mahlon Yonkin was charged with the loss after allowing five earned runs on 10 hits in three innings of work. Julie Shinavski threw an inning of relief.
The Hawks never wavered after grabbing a 4-0 lead in their half of the second. The Mountain Cats struck back with a run in the third. Mooney and Miehl cracked back-to-back singles before Tallman scored Mooney with an RBI single.
Hannah Gnibus singled and Radvan reached on an error to lead off the fifth. Meghan McDonough laced an RBI single to score Gnibus before moving up to second on an error. Mooney reached on an error to load the bases, but Radvan was ruled out at home on a passed ball and IUP starter Elizabeth Kasper induced a pop up and groundout to end the inning.
Jenna Tallman's RBI double in the seventh that scored pinch-runner Brynnae Coe set the final. McDonough, Mooney and Tallman all enjoyed multi-hit performances in game two as the Mountain Cats outhit the Hawks 10-6.
Sophomore Mia Smith was tagged with the loss in the circle. She allowed eight runs, four earned, on six hits with six strikeouts and seven walks in a complete-game effort. Kasper allowed three earned runs with four strikeouts and one walk in a complete-game win.
Pitt-Johnstown will face Clarion in a PSAC West doubleheader on Saturday starting at 2:30 p.m. The Mountain Cats will then wrap up the 2024 season by celebrating Senior Day on Sunday against Gannon with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. from the newly-renovated university softball field.
