University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

Mia Smith homered and pulled to within four strikeouts of Pitt-Johnstown's single-season mark, but Indiana (PA) picked up 7-1 and 9-0 PSAC West victories over the Mountain Cats, Friday afternoon in Indiana.
 
Pitt-Johnstown, the designated home team due to unplayable conditions at the UPJ Softball Field, enters Sunday's final doubleheader of the season at California (PA) at 15-26 overall and 8-18 in conference-play.
 
In game one, the Crimson Hawks used a Madison Pikula double to lead off the game, a sacrifice bunt, and Jaycee Haidze's RBI ground out to take a quick lead, before Reagan Rand's two-run homer to left in the top of the second made it, 3-0.
 
IUP added three more runs in the top of the fourth, but Smith led-off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to left-center to help Pitt-Johnstown cut into the deficit.
 
Jess Cekada got that run back with a two-out homer to center in the top of the seventh.
 
Pitt-Johnstown threatened with runners on base in the bottom of the sixth, but IUP starter Kendall Young was able to work out of the jam, then toss a perfect bottom of the seventh to record the complete-game victory.
 
Smith suffered the loss and fell to 8-11 after allowing seven runs (6 earned) on 11 hits in seven innings in the circle.  Smith, Pitt-Johnstown's all-time leader in strikeouts with 445, fanned two to move within four of tying Melissa Wagner's single-season record of 122 set in 2016.
 
Along with Smith's solo home run, Meghan McDonough, the Mountain Cats' all-time leader in triples and runs scored in a season, and Isabella DePalma each had base hits.
 
In the nightcap, IUP filled the bases in the top of the first off Pitt-Johnstown starter Mahlon Yonkin and opened-up a 2-0 advantage on Emily Miller's fielder's choice ground ball and Rand's sacrifice fly.
 
Three straight RBI singles from Miller, Rand, and Cekada in the Crimson Hawks' third inning extended it to 5-0.
 
IUP added four more runs in the fourth and went on to complete the sweep.
 
Brynnae Coe, Kylie Mettrick, Sara Solberg, and McDonough all had hits for the Mountain Cats.
 
Yonkin fell to 6-10 after giving up nine runs (8 earned) on 10 hits over the first 3.1 innings.  Avery Smiach pitched the final 1.2 innings and held IUP hitless, while striking out three and walking three.
 
The Crimson Hawks extended their winning streak to 11 consecutive games and improved to 33-17 overall and 22-4 in the PSAC West.