Pitt-Johnstown stormed back with five runs to grab a late lead before falling 9-5 in the first game of a PSAC West doubleheader at Edinboro. Despite bounding out to an early lead in the nightcap, it wasn't enough to prevent a 10-3 loss and a Sunday sweep.
The Mountain Cats finished up the weekend at 6-22 overall (3-11 PSAC).
Game One—Edinboro 9, Pitt-Johnstown 5
A leadoff home run from the Scots gave them a 1-0 lead early. Edinboro tacked on four hits and two more runs in the second to stretch it to 3-0.
Another solo home run in the fourth made it 4-0 before the Mountain Cats came alive in the sixth. They sent 10 batters to the plate, racking up five hits and taking advantage of a fielding error to go on top 5-4.
Isabella DePalma walked, Mia Smith singled and exited for pinch-runner Emma DiStefano and Krista Brunson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That set up Gianna Surra, who doubled to the left-center gap to score Solberg and DiStefano and cut the lead in half.
Jenna Tallman reached on an error that allowed Brunson to score and cut it to 4-3. Jessica Pugh checked in as a pinch-hitter and slugged a 2-RBI single that chased home Surra and Tallman and afforded Pitt-Johnstown a brief one-run advantage.
Edinboro responded in the bottom of the inning with five runs off five hits to pull ahead for good.
Hannah Gnibus finished with a team-high three hits, while Coe and Surra each had two.
Smith was charged with the loss, scattering 11 hits with eight strikeouts and four walks over 5 1/3 innings of work. Addison Hilligsberg gave up two hits in relief before getting the final two outs of the sixth.
Game Two—Edinboro 10, Pitt-Johnstown 3
With one out in the first, Hannah Gnibus reached on an error and Julia Mooney walked to put the Mountain Cats in business. DePalma slapped a single that moved everyone up a base, and Gnibus took advantage of a throwing error to score and make it 1-0.
After a groundout, Mooney crossed home on a wild pitch that pushed it to 2-0. That score stood until the bottom of the second when Edinboro plated four runs on four hits to take control.
The Mountain Cats kept the pressure on by churning out a run in the fourth. Audrey Paterson reached on an error, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Tallman cracked a base-hit to tighten it to 4-3.
The Scots got two runs back in the fourth on two hits and added four more insurance runs on three hits in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Grace Kessel picked up the complete-game win in the circle for Edinboro, which closed the day at 6-22 overall (5-11 PSAC).
Gnibus recorded a leadoff double in the fifth and Coe notched a leadoff single in the seventh, but neither made it beyond second base. Mahlon Yonkin suffered the loss in the circle, allowing 11 hits with two strikeouts and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. Hilligsberg got the final out in the sixth in relief.
Pitt-Johnstown will visit California (Pa.) for another PSAC West doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 2 p.m.
