Mia Smith tossed a two-hit shutout, and
Gianna Surra had two hits and drove in two to lead the Pitt-Johnstown softball team to a 3-0 victory in Wednesday's opener at the University of Charleston (WV). The Golden Eagles came back with an 8-0 win in game two. The Mountain Cats are now 3-10.
In the opener, Pitt-Johnstown's Smith and Charleston's Chloe Elliott locked up in a scoreless pitching duel, until the Mountain Cats struck for three runs in the top of the fifth. Singles by
Audrey Paterson and
Jenna Tallman and a walk to
Hannah Gnibus loaded the bases. Surra followed two batters later with a two-out, two-run single up the middle, and Gnibus scored on
Brynnae Coe's base hit to right.
Charleston loaded the bases with a single from Reagan West and two walks with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but Smith struck out pinch hitter Kelly Sullins to end the inning, then tossed a perfect seventh to lock down the complete-game shutout.
Smith limited the Golden Eagles to just two hits, singles by Bianca Polistina in the third inning and West in the sixth, to improve to 2-4. She also struck out five and walked four.
The Mountain Cats banged out nine hits, including two hits and two RBI from Surra and two hits apiece from
Isabella DePalma and Smith. Coe singled and drove in one, while Paterson and Tallman each collected a hit and scored a run.
Elliott fell to 1-3 after surrendering three runs (2 earned) on nine hits in seven innings. Elliott fanned six and walked one.
In the nightcap, Hannah Meyer connected for a two-run homer to left-center on the first pitch she saw from Mountain Cat starter
Mahlon Yonkin to give Charleston the lead in the second inning.
The Golden Eagles added five runs in the fifth, highlighted by West's two-run single and Lindsey Phares' RBI double, to push it out to 7-0, before the Golden Eagles ended it in the sixth when Kayla Moran scored from third on a Pitt-Johnstown throwing error.
Addison Mass raised her record to 5-0 after allowing just one hit, Paterson's single to left in the Mountain Cat half of the sixth.
Yonkin took the loss to fall to 0-5. Yonkin surrendered eight runs on nine hits on six innings.
With the split, Charleston is now 7-3.
The Mountain Cats travel to Salem (WV) for two non-conference games on March 19, before opening PSAC West play with doubleheaders against Slippery Rock on March 21 and Gannon on March 22 at the Pitt-Johnstown Softball Field.
