BRADFORD, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team will open Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference action as the Panthers head to Penn State-Behrend Thursday.
Thursday's games will be the Panthers' first conference games of the season.
The Panthers were last in action on Monday, April 2, for their home opener against Alfred State.
Pitt-Bradford won both games via the eight-run rule. With the victory in game one, Head Coach Tina Phillips picked up her 300th career victory as a collegiate head softball coach.
Though the Panthers put together a solid game all around, no offensive performance was better than that of Madison East, who was named Fastpitch News Division III National Player of the Week, NFCA Player of the Week and a HEROSports.com D3 HERO of the Week finalist.
The Milton, Pa., native reached base all seven of her plate appearances the team's home-opening doubleheader. Included in her 5-for-5 day was a triple and a double. She had three RBIs in each game for six total and delivered the big hit in game two — a bases-clearing, bases-loaded double. She also stole three total bases and scored as many runs.
On the season, she's started all 16 games and is hitting .408 with 20 hits, 14 stolen bases, 11 runs scored, 10 RBIs and a .592 slugging percentage. Her seven extra-base hits are tied for second-most in the AMCC.
Grace Dadzaa is another key contributor to the Panther offense. She joins East as the other Panther to appear in all 16 games, and the two are tied for the team lead of 11 runs scored. Dadzaa has worked 18 hits and as many total bases so far this season.
The top batting average on the team belongs to Natalie Harding (.500) while Samantha Hribal has worked a .444 batting average so far this season.
Hribal put together one of the best outings in the circle by a Panther so far this season against Alfred State in game two. She tossed all five innings, striking out seven -- the most by a Panther in a single outing so far this season -- and giving up just four hits while walking just one. The lone run scored by Alfred State went down as unearned.
Morgan Bellush pitched game one, earning the win with four innings pitched in the five-inning affair while striking out three.
The doubleheader is set for a 3 p.m. start with game two beginning around 5 p.m.
About Penn State-Behrend:
- The Behrend Lions welcome the Panthers with a 17-7 overall record and a 6-2 mark in AMCC contests.
- The Lions have won six straight, most recently sweeping Hilbert on Wednesday.
- Penn State-Behrend owns three of the conference's top five run producers. Mackenzie McIntire leads the AMCC with 20 RBIs, while Katie Gozzard is second with 18 Kristen Kargol is tied for third with 17. Gozzard and Lauren Wentz are both tied for the AMCC lead in home runs with two apiece.
- In the circle, AJ Nichols is one of the top pitchers in the conference, leading the AMCC with nine wins and sitting second with a 0.48 ERA and 76 strikeouts.
