The Pitt-Bradford softball team salvaged a split Friday morning at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The Panthers fell to Albion 8-2 before bouncing back to defeat Edgewood 5-2 in the late innings.
Albion blitzed the Panthers for four runs in the first inning, tallying five hits, executing a successful steal of home and scoring on an error in the field.
Pitt-Bradford pulled within 4-2 on RBI singles by Madison East and Liz Dzurisin in the third. Sam Hribal ignited the two-out rally with a bunt single, and Grace Dadzaa followed with a hit to leftfield.
The Panthers' defense failed Dzurisin, who started in the circle, in the bottom half of the frame, committing three errors which led to two more Briton runs.
A base-running blunder in the fifth cost Pitt-Bradford a chance to cut into Albion's lead. East hit a blooper to left field with two runners on, and the Britons were able to turn an unconventional 7-5-4 double play, eliminating both Panthers. Albion tacked on two more runs in the sixth to cap the scoring.
Both teams finished with 10 hits apiece, and only four of the eight runs Dzurisin yielded were earned.
Pitt-Bradford trailed Edgewood 2-1 entering the fifth inning but rallied to end the day on a winning note.
Both teams walked in a run, and the Eagles went ahead with a RBI single in the second inning.
Dadzaa and Fellows both reached base via errors to lead off the bottom of the fifth, and Dzurisin tied the game at two with a groundout to the shortstop, scoring Dadzaa from third.
With one out in the sixth, the Panthers loaded the bases but pinch-hitter Chelsey Henry struck out looking. In the next at bat, Fellows' groundball to the shortstop was misplayed, allowing all three runners to score.
Cassidy Lewis, who came on in relief for starter Morgan Bellush, retired the Eagles in order to preserve the win. The Eagles mustered just one hit off Lewis in three innings, and she struck out three while improving to 2-1 on the season.
Bellush was charged with two runs in four innings of work. She gave up five hits, walked one and struck out three. Nicole Nolte had two of the Panthers' six hits, and Dadzaa stole her team-leading seventh base and scored twice.
Pitt-Bradford improves to 4-4 on the season and plays Alverno and Dominican Saturday.
