NAPLES, Fla. – Sophomore pitcher Cassidy Lewis fired a one-hit shutout on Tuesday morning to lead the Pitt-Bradford softball team to a split on opening day of the 2016 campaign.
The Panthers dominated Northland College 12-0 in the opener before dropping a tough, 6-5 decision to Bridgewater State in the finale.
"It was a good start to the season. The second game sure was a heartbreaker, but I am proud of the way we battled back," said Pitt-Bradford head coach Tina Phillps. "We just had a few mistakes early in the game that hurt us."
Maddy Hillery led Pitt-Bradford at the plate, driving in four runs on two hits while Jenna Dean and Leann Bell drove in two runs each. Lewis had success at the plate as well with an RBI single in the opener.
Lewis earned up her first victory of the season, allowing just one hit while striking out three and not walking a batter over five shutout innings.
"Cassidy pitched an effective and efficient ballgame," Phillips said. "She did a great job working ahead and got a lot of ground ball outs. Natalie Harding called a strong game behind the plate and our bats just did the rest."
Hillery opened the floodgates with a bases-clearing double to the right field wall in the fifth.
The Panthers then added four more in the bottom of the second. With runners on the corners, Amber Fox stole second, prompting Lewis to sprint in from third ahead of the tag. Bell followed with an RBI single through the left side while the final two Panthers came in on a Northland fielding error.
Pitt-Bradford sealed the deal in the fifth, extending its lead to 12-0. Bell started the rally with an RBI single to left. Hillery then followed with her own RBI single to left and Dean roped a pinch-hit two-run single to right. Lewis capped the big inning with a line drive RBI single right back up the middle.
The Panthers outhit Northland 12-1 in the victory.
Bridgewater State proved to be a much tougher test, as they edged the Panthers 6-5 in the day's second game.
Dzurisin led the Panthers with three runs and three RBI while Fox added three hits and Taylor Collins drove in one run in the loss.
Dzurisin took her first loss of the year, surrendering six runs over two innings. Summer Andrews didn't allow a run over four innings of relief to keep the Panthers in the game.
The Bears opened the game with a four-run first and two-run second to take a 3-0 lead into the third.
The Panthers began chipping away at the Bears' lead when Nicole Nolte reached on an error, allowing Fox to trot in from third. Dzurisin followed with an RBI single to left, tightening the Bridgewater State lead to 6-2 heading into the home half of the third.
Grace Dadzaa then proved how speed could certainly make a difference in a ballgame. The freshman centerfielder stole third and took home after the catcher's throw went trickling down the left field line.
"Grace gave us a spark and summer did a great job in relief to get us back in the game," Phillips said. "We were right where we needed to be with the top of the order up and two on with nobody out."
The Panthers made things interesting in the top of the seventh. Fox led off the inning with an infield single to the third base side while Andrews reached on a fielder's choice when the Bears' pitcher took a bit too long staring down Fox leading off of third on the ground ball.
Bell then came up and lined out to center and Nolte popped up to second, giving the Panthers runners on first and third with two outs.
Dzurisin kept the game alive with an RBI single down the left field line and Hillery drew a walk to load the bases. Taylor Collins roped a single to center, allowing Andrews to score easily from third.
However, 6-5 was as close as the Panthers would come as the game ended on a fly out to center.
Pitt-Bradford continues their Florida trip with two more games on Wednesday. The Panthers meet Marian (Wis.) at 9 a.m. and then Elms at 11 a.m. at the North Collier Regional Park in Naples.
