FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Pitt-Bradford softball team beat Nazareth College 7-2 in game one on Tuesday.
Pitt-Bradford (3-3) was led by junior Leann Bell (Lance/West Branch) who went 3-for-4 on the day with three RBIs. Freshman Cassidy Lewis (Bolivar, N.Y./Bolivar-Richburg) recorded her first career win as a collegiate pitcher going 1-1 on the year.
Nazareth (1-3) was led by Morgan Ross who went 2-for-4.
The Panthers struck first on a Bell line drive in the gap that scored junior Amber Fox (Warren/Youngsville) and junior Megan Hillard (Bradford/Bradford). Pitt-Bradford led after the first inning, 2-0.
Pitt-Bradford tacked on one more run in the top of the third after a sophomore Jillian Fleming (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) RBI that drove in freshman Brenna Gustin (Wellsville, N.Y./Bolivar-Richburg) to push the lead to 3-0.
Bell would add another RBI to her name as she singled home a run to give the Panthers a 4-0 lead over Nazareth.
Senior Bri Stenta (Ridgway/Ridgway) drove in one more Panther on a line drive single to extend the lead to 5-0.
Nazareth battled back after a two-run inside the park home run by Ross to cut the lead down to 5-2.
The Panthers answered in the next inning and scored two runs by way of a Fleming single and a Hillard walk to push the lead to 7-2.
Pitt-Bradford took on Bridgewater State in game two of its doubleheader and fell to the Bears, 9-1.
Pitt-Bradford was led by Stenta who went 2-for-3.
Bridgewater State was led by Morrow who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
The Bears jumped out to a big lead in the first after a ground rule double by Samantha LoPilato that drove in two runs.
Bridgewater State would go on to put up six runs in the top of the first to jump out to a 6-0 lead.
The Panthers could not seem to get their bats working as they only posted two hits in the first four innings of play.
Bridgewater State collected one more run in the third inning to extend its lead to 7-0.
After the Bears scored two more runs in the sixth, Pitt-Bradford tried to battle back after a Gustin RBI but fell short to Bridgewater State, 9-1.
Pitt-Bradford head coach Tina Phillips said, "Another day of a tale of two games. We came out strong again in the first game. The top and middle part of our lineup was strong again and we got on the board early. Our defense was tough and nice to see Cassidy get her first collegiate win. The second game got us again. Bridgewater State is too good of a team to give six runs to open up. Krista showed great poise after that. We just never got going, but I liked that we fought at the end. I am looking forward to a much needed off day tomorrow."
The Panthers will return to the field Thursday against Kenyon College at 9 a.m.
