Head Coach Niki Cognigni-Pecora and the Pitt-Johnstown softball team will make their 2025 home debuts and begin PSAC West-play with doubleheaders against Slippery Rock on Friday at 2 p.m. at the Pitt-Johnstown Softball Field and Gannon on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Due to weather's Saturday's games against Gannon were moved to Sunday.
The Mountain Cats, under
Head Coach Niki Cognigni-Pecora, split a non-conference header at Salem (WV) on Wednesday and come in at 3-11 overall.
Julia Mooney hit a pair of homeruns in a 3-2 loss in the opener, before Pitt-Johnstown used
Mahlon Yonkin's complete-game and
Audrey Paterson's two hits and two RBI to pick up a 3-2 win in the nightcap.
Head Coach Stacey Rice (11
th season) and The Rock are 6-12 overall following Wednesday's home sweep over Wheeling (WV). After a 5-2 win in game 1, Slippery Rock erased a seven-run deficit and earned a 15-14 win in nine innings to complete the sweep.
Alexis Hurd homered and drove in two, and
Julia Nutter had four hits and two RBI in game two.
Since first meeting in 2015, The Rock holds a slim, 18-0 advantage. In 2024, Slippery Rock took three-of-the-four meetings between the teams. On April 20, the Rock earned 9-1 and 9-0 wins in Slippery Rock, before the teams split a pair of games the next day in Johnstown. The Mountain Cats took the opener, 7-3, and Slippery Rock took the nightcap, 18-14.
Gannon, under eighth-year
Head Coach Michelle Wiley, was 10-8 overall and 1-1 in the PSAC-West prior to Friday's scheduled games at IUP. After dropping game one of their PSAC West-opener against Edinboro on Tuesday, the Golden Knights built a 5-0, fourth inning lead and got the split with a 5-1 victory in the nightcap.
Last season, the Golden Knights took three of the four games played between the teams.
Shaylin Hagerman had two hits and drove in three, and
Brynnae Coe had two hits and two RBI in a 7-6 Pitt-Johnstown win to start a doubleheader in Erie on March 28. Gannon won the nightcap, 8-0, then swept the Mountain Cats, 12-2 and 6-1, in Johnstown on April 28.
The Mountain Cats will host a PSAC West doubleheader at the Pitt-Johnstown Softball Field against California (PA) on Tuesday at 2 p.m., before visiting Edinboro for a pair of conference games on Friday.
