Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team opened its home slate on Saturday, hosting AMCC foe Carlow in a conference doubleheader. The Panthers outslugged the hosts in the opener, 19-14, and then dominated game two, winning 10-0 in five innings.
Game One: Pitt-Bradford 19 - Carlow 14
In the opener, the Panthers fell behind after allowing 8 runs in the top of the first, but struck back with 7 of their own in the same frame and then went ahead with an 8-run 4th inning. After the visitors closed the gap, Pitt-Bradford tacked on 3 late runs to secure a 19-14 victory.
Tae-Lynn Brabant got the start for Pitt-Bradford and struggled in her home debut. The visitors were able to score 3 runs on two free passes, a double steal, a hit, and an error before Brabant was able to record an out. After striking out a batter, she walked a batter and gave up a single before getting the second out on a groundout. She was not able to get out of the inning without further damage, as she allowed a run-scoring single and then a 3-run home run to left center before being replaced by Sandra Watne after allowing 8 runs. Watne let the first two batters she faced reach base, but finally ended the frame after 14 batters with a fly ball to center.
Pitt-Bradford did not stay down for long, striking right back in the bottom of the frame to score 7 times. Miranda Groll led off the game with a single, and then, after stealing second base, scored on a Sasha Ginsburg hit. The Panthers loaded the bases with a Sara Stroup walk and a single by Krislyn Clement, and then Lilly Hamels cleared them, hitting a three-run double to center. After a groundout, Kalie Dixon cut further into the lead, blasting a two-run home run to left field. It was her 2nd of the season. Following a pitching change, Keelie Schneider dropped a single into left-center and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. She was able to score a batter later when Groll reached on a throwing error.
Watne returned to the hill in the 2nd and could not keep the Celtics off the board. The leadoff batter reached on an error and then, following a pop-up, moved to third on a single and a passed ball. The lead runner scored on a single down the left field line, but Watne got out of the jam by retiring two in a row. Krislyn Clement got the run right back in the bottom of the frame, hitting a one-out home run to deep left field. The blast was her 3rd of the season.
Watne kept the Celtics off the board in the 3rd and 4th innings, and was rewarded in the bottom of the 4th, as the offense scored 8 more times to take the lead. Hamels started the rally with a one-out double to left-center, but could not advance on an infield single and then was forced out at third for the 2nd out. The Panthers would not go away, however, as the next 8 batters reached to push the score to 16-9. Schneider singled to right to bring in Watne, and then after a pitch hit Lexi Najdusak, Groll reached on an error to force in another run. Ginsberg loaded the bases with a bunt single before Stroup forced in another run with a walk. Clement drove in a pair with a single through the left side, and then Hamels and Watne each dropped singles into the outfield to bring in two more runs.
The visitors battled back in the 5th, scoring three times to keep the game going. They loaded the bases with one out before scoring 3 runs on a hit batter, an error, and a fielder's choice. The Panthers went down in order in the bottom of the inning, sending the game to the 6th with the Panthers ahead by four runs. The Celtics cut further into the lead in their half of the 6th, scoring twice to cut the deficit in half. Watne allowed a leadoff single and a walk before getting the first out on a popped-up bunt attempt. After a double to center drove in a run, she was replaced by Jenna Opel. Opel walked the first two batters she faced, forcing in another run, but got out of the inning when Kailey Ripley turned a double play on a line drive.
In the 6th, the Panthers looked to extend their lead and succeeded with an early rally. Ginsberg and Stroup started the frame with back-to-back singles before Clement drove a double to center to bring them both in. She moved to third on a groundout and then scored the 19th run of the game for the Panthers on a wild pitch. Opel returned to the circle for the 7th and worked around a leadoff walk and a two-out single to finish the game.
Sandra Watne (3-0) picked up the win after allowing 6 runs, 4 earned in 4.2 innings pitched. Starter Tae-Lynn Brabant had a tough outing, being tagged with 8 runs, 3 earned in 2/3 of an inning pitched. She struck out one batter. Jenna Opel entered with the tying run on base and picked up a save after throwing 1.2 scoreless innings. Krislyn Clement had a huge game for the Panthers, finishing 4 for 5 with 4 runs scored, 5 RBI, a double, and a home run. Lilly Hamels went 3 for 4 in the win, driving in 4 runs on a pair of doubles. Sahsa Ginsberg also had a three-hit game, while Keelie Schneider was 2 for 3 and Kalie Dixon hit a two-run home run.
Game Two - Pitt-Bradford 10 - Carlow 0 - 5 innings
While the Panthers had to outlast the Celtics in game one, they made quick work of the visitors in the nightcap, dominating Carlow 10-0 in 5 innings.
Hannah Schnetzer got the start for the Panthers and quickly retired the side in the top of the first. The offense gave her an early lead, as they scored 5 times in the bottom of the opening frame. Groll led off with another single and was able to move all the way to third base on an error in the outfield. A batter later, Ginsberg drove her in with a single to center. Two batters later, Kalie Dixon drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and then Stroup scrambled home on a wild pitch to put the Panthers up 3-0. Kelie Schneider dropped a single into right field, and then, following a Kailey Ripley walk, scored when Lexi Najdusak singled down the right field line.
The Celtics loaded the bases with an error, a walk, and a single in the second, but Schnetzer was able to induce a pop-up in the infield to escape the jam and post a shutdown inning. The Panthers threatened to add to the lead in the bottom of the second when Ginsberg and Stroup each singled and then pulled off a double steal. Unfortunately, they were left stranded in scoring position as the inning ended with a strikeout and a fly ball to right.
Schnetzer posted another 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd, and then saw the offense tack on two runs in the bottom of the inning. Dixon and Schneider started the inning with a double to left center and an infield single, and then, after two outs, Groll tripled off the wall in left center to bring them both in. Schentzer retired the first two batters of the top of the 4th, but then gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases. She was able to wriggle out of the jam once again, inducing a groundout to second base to end the shutdown frame.
The Panthers used the momentum from the shutdown inning in the bottom of the frame and scored three more runs to extend the lead to 10. Clement led off with a double and then took third on a wild pitch and scored on a Hamels single. Kendall Dotson followed with a pitch-hit single to right before Schneider and Jada Walowen each drove in a run with an RBI groundout.
In the 5th, Schnetzer worked around two singles to post one more scoreless frame to end the contest by the run-rule.
Hannah Schnetzer (1-1) picked up her first career win, a complete game, and a shutout all in one contest. She scattered 6 hits and a walk in 5 scoreless frames for the victory. Four different Panthers recorded multihit games in the win. Keelie Schneider led the way with 2 singles, 2 runs scored, and 2 driven in. Miranda Groll finished 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and two extra-base hits, while Sara Stroup and Sasha Ginsberg also had two hits each.
The win moves Pitt-Bradford to 6-12 on the year with a 4-0 mark in AMCC play. They will be back in action at the Kessel Athletic Complex on Wednesday, April 8th, when they host Penn State-Behrend in a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.
