Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team hosted Penn State-Altoona in an AMCC doubleheader at the Kessel Athletic Complex on Saturday. The Panthers erased early deficits in both games, but came up short, dropping game one 10-5 and game two 8-7.
Game One - Penn State-Altoona 10 - Pitt-Bradford 5
In the opener, the Panthers fell behind after allowing two runs in the opening frame, but eventually tied things up at 3 in the 4th. Unfortunately, the visitors broke through with 4 runs in the 5th and 3 more in the 6th to send the Panthers to a 10-5 defeat.
Tae-Lynn Brabant got the start for the Panthers and quickly found herself behind as she walked the leadoff batter and then made a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt. The Lions drove in the opening run with a sacrifice fly to left, and then, after a walk, singled up the middle for the second. Brabant avoided further damage, inducing a pair of groundouts to keep the deficit at two. Pitt-Bradford struck back in the bottom of the frame, cutting the lead in half with two hits and a pair of walks. Miranda Groll led off with a single to right, and then moved to 2nd when Sasha Ginsberg grounded one through the right side of the infield. After a lineout, Krislyn Clement and Lilly Hamels drew back-to-back walks to force in the run.
Brabant made quick work of the Lions in the 2nd, inducing a pair of groundouts and a flyball on just 7 pitches. She led off the bottom of the frame with a double to left, and then two batters later scored on an RBI groundout by Ginsberg.
Both teams went down quietly in the third before scoring once in the 4th. Penn State-Altoona started the 4th with back-to-back singles, before a 4-6-3 double play put a runner on third with 2 outs. Brabant was not able to escape the jam, as a single went up the middle and drove in the run. The Panthers scored their run without the benefit of a hit. Lexi Najsudak drew a one-out walk and then moved to second on a wild pitch. She scored when Ginsberg's fly ball to center was dropped in the outfield.
Penn State-Altoona regained the lead with a 4-run rally in the 5th. They put a pair of runners on with a single and a walk, and then, after a sacrifice bunt, hit back-to-back doubles to drive in a pair. Sandra Watne was brought in to replace Brabant, but could not get out of the inning without allowing her inherited runners to score. The first came home on a sacrifice fly, and then the second on a single up the middle. Trailing by 4, Clement led off the 5th with a double down the left field line, and then moved to third when Hamels singled to center. After a strikeout, Keelie Schneider drove in a run with an RBI groundout, and then Watne helped her own cause, lining a single into left to cut the lead to 2.
The Lions tacked on three more runs in the 6th, pushing their lead to 5. They started the inning with a single to center and then hit a double to the gap to drive in the first run. Following a blooped single over third base, the Lions took another run with a double steal attempt that saw the runner on first thrown out stealing. The next batter drew a walk, stole second, and scored on a single to center with two outs.
The Panthers went down in order in the 6th, and then after Watne posted a 1-2-3 frame in the 7th, went to the plate needing 5 runs to tie the game. Clement started the frame with a single to right center, but was then doubled off on a line drive to short. The next Panther struck out swinging to end the game.
Tae-Lynn Brabant (2-5) received the loss after allowing 7 runs, 6 earned, in 4.1 innings of work. Sandra Watne pitched the final 2.2 innings, giving up 3 earned runs, while striking out one. Krislyn Clement reached in all four of her plate appearances, going 2 for 2 with a double, 2 free passes, and a run scored. Miranda Groll also had a multi-hit game, finishing 2 for 4 with a run scored. Sasha Ginsberg, Lilly Hamels, Keelie Schneider, and Sandra Watne all had RBIs in the loss.
Game Two: Penn State-Altoona 8 - Pitt-Bradford 7
In game two, the Panthers took a 7-5 lead on a go-ahead 3-run home run by Krislyn Clement, but could not hold off the Lions, who struck back with 3 in the 7th to win the game.
Kaylee Schwartz got the start for the Panthers and made quick work of the Lions in the first, retiring all three batters she faced. The Panthers got a one-out single from Sasha Ginsberg in the bottom of the inning, but the next two batters were retired to end the frame.
The visitors took the lead in the 2nd, as Schwartz allowed a one-out home run to left. After a single up the middle, the Panthers rolled a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame. After Schwartz stranded a runner on base in the 3rd, the Panthers threatened to take the lead in their half of the frame. Lexi Najdusak drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a bunt single by Miranda Groll. They moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but a sharp groundout to shortstop ended the inning.
Penn State-Altoona regained the lead in the 4th, using a pair of two-out singles to drive in the runs. Schwartz allowed a lead-off single to short and then walked a batter to put two on. She got a fly out to right and a pop-up to short, but then singles to center and right field brought them in. Pitt-Bradford pulled a run back in the bottom half, as Clement hit a solo home run to start the frame. Lilly Hamels followed with a single, and then two batters later, moved to third when Kailey Ripley lined a single to left, and the Lion outfielder bobbled the ball, allowing both runners to take an extra base. Unfortunately, the Panthers were not able to take advantage, as the inning ended a batter later on a foul pop-up.
Christa Koagel replaced Schwartz to begin the 5th, and saw the first batter she faced reach on an error in the infield. After a lineout, the Lions hit a single up the middle and a double down the left field line to take advantage of the error and tack on a run. They added a second unearned run on an RBI groundout to second before Koagel ended the frame with a flyout. The Panthers got one of the runs back in their half of the inning. Groll led off with a single up the middle and then stole second base. She moved to third on a grounder to the right side and then scored on a wild pitch. After a groundout, Clement drew a walk and Hamels singled through the left side, but neither could score as a third groundout in the inning ended the frame.
In the 6th, Koagel posted a shutdown inning with the help of another double play, setting up a big bottom half of the inning for the Panthers. The Panthers put a pair of runners on with an infield error and a pinch hit single by Sandra Watne, but needed a rally to score after a fielder's choice forced out the lead runner at 3rd for the 2nd out. Following a walk, Cassie Scarbrough lined a pinch-hit single through the right side of the infield to bring in two runners. Clement came to the plate next and drove a high fly ball to left that landed on the far side of the fence for her 2nd home run of the game, giving the Panthers a 7-5 lead.
Clement moved into the circle, looking to close out the game in the 7th, but was not able to slam the door. She allowed a leadoff double, and then after a groundout, saw the first run score on a single to left. After an intentional walk, a throwing error in the infield allowed the tying run to score, and the go-ahead run to move to third. The Lions took the lead on a sacrifice fly a batter later. In the bottom of the inning, the Panthers were set down on just 6 pitches to end the game. The first two batters popped up in the infield before pinch-hitter Kalie Dixon's line drive up the middle was snagged by the pitcher for the final out.
Starting pitcher Kaylee Schwartz picked up a no-decision after allowing 3 earned runs in 4 innings of work. Christa Koagel pitched two innings, allowing two unearned runs. Krislyn Clement (0-2) got the hard-luck loss after allowing 3 runs, 1 earned on 2 hits and an intentional walk. She did lead the offense in the game, finishing 2 for 3 with two home runs, 4 RBI, and a walk. Lilly Hamels had three hits in the loss, while Miranda Groll also had a multi-hit game, finishing 2 for 4 with two runs scored. She also picked up her 100th career hit. Cassie Scarbrough drove in two with a pinch-hit single.
The losses drop Pitt-Bradford to 8-19 on the season with a 5-6 mark in conference play. They will be back in action on Wednesday, April 22nd, when they head to Hamburg, NY to take on Hilbert in a doubleheader that was previously postponed.
