Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team was back in action on Sunday as they hosted Pitt-Greensburg in an AMCC doubleheader, looking to secure a spot in the AMCC Championship Tournament. The Panthers totaled 4 home runs in a sweep of the Bobcats, winning game one 5-4 and game two 8-2.
Game One: Pitt-Bradford 5- Pitt-Greensburg 4
In the opener, the Panthers rebounded from an early deficit, hitting three home runs to build a 5-1 advantage. The visitors rallied in the 7th, but Pitt-Bradford was able to shut the door, preserving a 5-4 victory.
Hannah Schnetzer started in the circle for Pitt-Bradford and ran into early trouble. The first two batters of the game each hit doubles to open the scoring. Schnetzer settled in after the second, using 9 pitches to retire the next three batters and end the inning. The Panthers struck right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring twice to move in front. Miranda Groll led off the game with a walk, and then, after stealing second, scored when Sara Stroup hit a home run to left field. The two-run blast was Stroup's first of the year.
Schnetzer worked around a two-out single to post a shutdown inning in the top of the 2nd, and then after a quick bottom half, stranded a pair of Bobcats on base in the 3rd to keep the Panthers in front. In their half of the inning, the Panthers tacked on an insurance run. With one out, Groll cracked a line drive to left field, putting it over the fence for a home run. It was Groll's first of the year.
Schnetzer put another shutdown frame on the board in the fourth, working around a two-out single. She was relieved by Tae-Lynn Brabant in the 5th, who made quick work of the Bobcats in her first inning, retiring all three batters she faced.
In the 6th, Brabany allowed a one-out single and a walk, but was able to settle in and retire the next two batters to end the frame. In the bottom half, the Panthers tacked on two insurance runs, which would eventually be the winning runs. Krislyn Clement started the frame with a one-out double to right field, and then scored a batter later when Lilly Hamels hit her first career home run to put the Panthers up 5-1.
With Pitt-Bradford ahead by four, the visitors put together a final rally on Brabant, looking to get back into the game. The freshman right-hander started the inning with a pair of walks, and then allowed a single to right, which drove in the first run. After a passed ball allowed the runners to move into scoring position, the Bobcats hit two straight long fly balls into the outfield, which were caught as sacrifice flies, cutting the Panther lead to 1. Brabant needed just 3 more pitches to slam the door, inducing a foul out to first to end the game.
Hannah Schnetzer (3-3) picked up the victory for the Panthers. In 4 innings of work, she allowed 1 earned run on 5 hits and a walk. Tae-Lynn Brabant (2) earned a save, pitching the final 3 frames while allowing 3 runs, 2 earned on 2 hits and 3 walks. The Panthers tallied just 7 hits in the win, but made them all count, as three of them were home runs. Sara Stroup and Lilly Hamels both finished 1 for 3 with a two-run home run. Miranda Groll was 1 for 1 with 2 runs scored, a walk, and a solo home run.
Game Two: Pitt-Bradford 8 - Pitt-Greensburg 2
In game two, the Panthers scored twice in each of their first two at-bats to build an early 4-0 lead. They allowed the visitors to cut the lead in half midway through the game, but extended their advantage with 4 in the 4th to win 8-2.
Sandra Watne was the Panthers' starting pitcher for the game, and she got off to a strong start, inducing three straight groundouts to start the game. The Panther offense jumped in front in the bottom half with two runs. Miranda Groll started another game with a walk, and then two batters later scored when Krislyn Clement hit a long home run to center field. The blast was her team-leading 7th of the season. The inning continued as Lilly Hamels and Kalie Dixon each singled, but then ended a batter later on a pop-up.
Watne allowed a one-out single in the top of the 2nd, but then Groll ended the frame, catching a line drive in centerfield before firing a throw to first base to double-off the runner and give Watne a shutdown inning. Pitt-Bradford doubled its advantage in the second. Lexi Najdusak started the rally with a one-out walk and then scored when Groll tripled to center. Sasha Ginsberg followed with a line-drive single to left, putting the Panthers ahead 4-0.
The visitors pulled a run back in the 3rd, using three singles to score. After another one-out hit, Watne picked up a strikeout at the bottom of the lineup, but then, as it flipped over, gave up back-to-back singles to left to allow the run to score. She ended the inning a batter later with a pop-up to short. Watne looked to get the run back in the bottom of the frame, as she hit a two-out double to right center, but was left on second as the inning ended.
After retiring the leadoff batter on a sharp line drive to center, Watne allowed a double to left, which led to a Pitt-Bradford pitching change. She was replaced by Kaylee Schwartz, who got the first batter she faced to hit a slow dribbler in front of the plate. The batter beat the throw to first for a single, but the throw to the base was errant, allowing the run to come around and score. Schwartz got out of the inning without further damage, inducing a pop-up and getting a strikeout to end the frame.
The Panthers came right back in the bottom half of the inning to score 4 times on 5 hits and a walk, all before an out could be recorded in the inning. Najdusak started the frame with a single, before Groll and Ginsberg also hit singles to load the bases. Sara Stroup came through with a big hit, lining a double into left-center to bring in two. After Clement walked to reload the bases, Hamels turned on a pitch and hit a double down the left field line to drive in two more and force a Pitt-Greensburg pitching change. After the change, the Panthers failed to regain momentum, as the next three batters were retired, ending the frame.
Armed with a 6-run lead, Schwartz went to work. She allowed a single to start the 5th, but then induced three straight fly balls to end the inning. She continued to have success in the 6th, getting all three batters to hit the ball in the air as one flied out to center, and two popped up to shortstop. The Panthers failed to tack on runs during the stretch as they looked to end the game by run rule. In the 5th, Ginsberg and Stroup extended the inning with a hit and a walk, but could not score as the inning ended on a fielder's choice groundout. They followed suit in the 6th, hitting three straight flyouts to send the game to its final inning with the Panthers ahead 8-2.
In the 7th, Schwartz retired the first two, but then gave up a single to extend the game. It did not last much longer, as a batter later she induced another groundball to short that resulted in a force out at second base, ending the game.
Kaylee Schwartz (4-4) earned the win for the Panthers, pitching 3.2 shutout innings. She scattered 3 hits while striking out one. Sandra Watne had a strong start, but did not qualify for a win and received a no-decision. She pitched 3.1 innings, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, on 5 hits. She also struck out one batter. Miranda Groll and Sasha Ginsberg did an excellent job setting the table for the Panthers. Groll went 2 for 3 with a triple, a walk, and 3 runs scored. Sasha Ginsberg tallied three singles while scoring once and driving in a run. Sara Stroup and Lilly Hamels each hit two-run doubles, while Krislyn Clement hit a two-run home run.
The wins move the Panthers to 13-20 on the season with a 9-6 mark in AMCC play. They have secured a spot in the AMCC championship tournament, and with a win in their final game, can secure the 3rd seed. They will have the next few days off for final exams before returning to action on Friday evening. They will bring the regular season to a close with a trip to Alfred State, where they will play the second game of an April 14th doubleheader that was postponed due to a thunderstorm between games. First pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m.
