University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

Pitt-Johnstown senior right-hander Mia Smith struck out five California (PA) hitters in two starts on Sunday to break the single-season strikeout record and help Pitt-Johnstown finish the 2026 season with a PSAC West split against the Vulcans.
 
Sara Solberg and Jessica Pugh each connected for three-run home runs in an 8-3 win in the opener.  The Vulcans came back with an 11-3 win in game two.  Pitt-Johnstown closed out the season at 16-27 overall and 9-19 in the PSAC West.
 
Smith, who entered the day four strikeouts of Melissa Wagner's single season mark of 122 set in 2016, fanned two in a complete game effort in the opener, before getting the start in the circle in game two and striking out three more over the first two innings to set the record at 123.
 
Smith closed out her career as the Mountain Cats' all-time leader in appearances (88), Wins (32), innings-pitched (504.0), and strikeouts (450), while outfielder Meghan McDonough will enter her senior season as the programs career-leader in triples (9), and single-season leader in runs (31).  McDonough is also tied for the single-season mark in triples (5) and stolen bases (9).
 
In the opener, Kirra Davis' two-out solo homer to right in the bottom of the first gave the Vulcans the early lead, but Pitt-Johnstown quickly answered with three in the top of the second.  Back-to-back singles from Audrey Paterson and Smith put runners on first and third ahead of Sara Solberg's three-run blast to left.
 
Cal U battled back to knot it at three in the fourth on RBI singles from Alexa Edmunds and Savanna Benish, before Jessica Pugh's three-run home run gave the lead right back to the Mountain Cats in the top of the fifth.
 
Pitt-Johnstown added an unearned run in the sixth to make it 7-3 when Brynnae Coe scored on Kylie Mettrick's base hit through the right side, and Coe's Sacrifice fly in the seventh chased home Gianna Surra to set the final at 8-3.
 
Smith tossed complete-game victory to improve 9-11.  Smith, allowed three runs on six hits, while striking out two and walking two.
 
Along with the three-run homers from Solberg and Pugh, Surra singled, doubled, and drove in one, while Mettrick added two hits and an RBI.  Pitt-Johnstown also got two hits and a run each from Paterson and Smith to highlight an 11-hit Mountain Cat attack.
 
In the nightcap, McDonough led off the game with a base hit, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a ground out, then scored on Surra's single to center to give Pitt-Johnstown a 1-0 advantage.
 
The Vulcans answered with seven runs on five hits off of Smith in the second, but Smith was able to fan a pair in the inning to record the single-season strikeout record.
 
Pitt-Johnstown cut it to 7-3 in the third on a run scoring single from Surra and Paterson's RBI triple.
 
Two more runs in the bottom of the third and one in the fourth got Cal U's lead out to 10-3, before Amarah McCutcheon's homer to left to start the bottom of the sixth off of Mountain Cat reliever Avery Smiach gave the Vulcans the 11-3 win.
 
Surra went 2-for-3 with two RBI, Paterson had two hits and drove in one, and McDonough collected two hits and scored a run for Pitt-Johnstown.  Pugh also had a double and scored a run.
 
Smith took the loss in her final outing and dropped to 9-12.  Smiach pitched the final three-plus innings and allowed four runs on seven hits.  Smiach struck out four and walked one.
 
With the split, Cal U ended the regular season at 19-17 overall and 14-14 in the PSAC West.