BRADFORD, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team earned an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference doubleheader split Saturday against Penn State-Altoona at the Kessel Athletic Complex.
"Great to get back at it after being off for another week," Head Coach Tina Phillips said. "It's been tough getting going offensively. We need to have some better at-bats. But a win is a win at this point, particularly in conference play, so we will take it. The first game simply came down to the fact that their 1-4 in the lineup were much better than our 1-4 in the lineup. We need to start stringing things together and putting a good swing on a good pitch and not over complicate it. Jordan pitched a great game and we took advantage of one miscue to get us our only run. Our defense played well all day, especially in the second game."
The Panthers took the second game of the day, holding on to capture the 1-0 victory.
Jordan Uhing delivered a complete-game shutout, surrendering four hits and striking out one to improve to 4-2 on the season.
The lone run of the contest came in the third inning as Samantha Hribal came into score on a misplay by the Altoona second baseman.
In game one, Jenna Fellows knocked a pair of hits and Kendra Colegrove hammered a two-run double to left.
Kerrigan Hoffmann went the distance in the circle for Pitt-Bradford.
Prior to the start of the day's contests, Natalie Harding and Nicole Nolte were honored for Senior Day.
The Panthers are now 11-13 overall and 3-5 in AMCC action.
Game One: Penn State-Altoona 7, Pitt-Bradford 2
The Lions wasted no time and scored two quick runs in the top of the first. The first four hitters worked singles, with two runners coming in on the fourth.
Pitt-Bradford tied it up in the second as Colegrove lined a double down the left-field line that scored Maddy Hillery and Fellows.
But Penn State-Altoona got its two-run lead back with a pair in the top of the third, both coming into score on a bases-loaded double to right center.
After a clean fourth inning, the Lions added one more in the top of the fifth to go up 5-2.
The Panthers threatened in the sixth as Nicole Nolte and Fellows singled, but the two runners were left stranded.
Altoona grabbed two more and extended its lead to five runs in the top of the seventh to go up by the eventual 7-2 final score.
In the bottom of the seventh, Betty Fratercangelo doubled and Grace Dadzaa reached on a single, but the Panthers were unable to score as Altoona held on for the victory.
The Pitt-Bradford defense put together a clean game, making no defensive errors. The Panthers also turned three double plays -- two with Fellows and Hillary up the middle and another involving Hoffmann, Melissa Nye at first and Colegrove at home.
Hoffmann went all seven innings, surrendering 14 hits while walking none and striking out one.
Seven different Panthers made up the eight-hit effort. Fellows recorded a pair of hits.
Game Two: Pitt-Bradford 2, Penn State-Altoona 0
Both teams combined for 22 hits in game one. Game two was a different story.
Altoona worked the first hit of the ballgame in the bottom of the first as a runner advancing to second base beat out a throw from shortstop, putting runners on first and second with one out.
But Uhing and the Panthers escaped unharmed.
The first hit of the day for the Panthers came in the third inning where they did all their damage.
Hribal walked to leadoff the frame and Dadzaa then beat out a bunt single.
Madison East then smacked a hard ground ball in the hole behind second base. The shortstop fielded it and flipped to second base but could not get the hustling Dadzaa.
The second baseman then bobbled the ball, allowing Hribal to score.
Uhing and the Panther defense wasted Altoona base hits in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, holding onto the 1-0 lead.
Altoona made it interesting in the top of the seventh, though.
The Lions worked a leadoff walk, putting the tying run on base with no outs.
But Uhing induced a fielders choice at second base for the first out, then worked a huge strikeout looking for the second out.
She then took matters into her own hands, inducing a groundout on a ball hit right back to her in the circle, then tossing to first for the final out.
The strikeout in the seventh was Uhing's only of the ballgame. She scattered two walks and four hits to earn her sixth complete game of the season.
Pitt-Bradford once again put together a clean game defensively, which aided Uhing's pitching performance and kept Lions off the basepaths.
The Panthers will have a quick turnaround and be in action on the road Sunday as they travel to Medaille for an AMCC doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be played on the campus of D'Youville College.