ERIE, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team had its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference playoff run come to a close Saturday morning, falling 6-4 to D'Youville in extra innings.
Pitt-Bradford finishes the 2019 season with a 23-18 overall record, tying the program's most wins in a season since 2014.
"Tough loss today and not the result we wanted," Head Coach Tina Phillips said. "But, we had a great season. As I told them after the game, we have accomplished so much and I just loved this team. We were there for each other on and off the field. They played hard and together all year."
D'Youville got the foggy morning started with a 3-0 lead on RBI singles in the first and second innings followed by a sacrifice fly in the third.
Pitt-Bradford grabbed a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as Kendra Colegrove scored Grace Dadzaa on a sacrifice fly and Maddy Hillery scored Betty Fratercangelo on a double to right field.
Fratercangelo then tied the game in the fourth with a single down the right-field line that plated Hannah Lathrop.
Tied 3-3, Pitt-Bradford threatened to take the lead in the sixth, working the bases loaded.
But all three runners were left stranded as D'Youville induced an inning-ending fly ball to right.
Then in the bottom of the seventh still tied, Liz Dzurisin started the frame reaching base on a Spartan fielding error, representing the winning run.
In as a pinch runner, Maeghan Wynn worked her way to third base on a passed ball and a Madison East sacrifice bunt for the first out.
Melissa Nye then stepped in, looking to cash Wynn for the victory.
She grounded one to second and the Spartan fielded it cleanly and cut down Wynn at the plate, minimizing the threat.
Pitt-Bradford would be unable to score during the final inning and the two teams went into extra innings.
With two away and a runner on first in the top of the eighth, a potential inning-ending strikeout got past the Panther catcher and allowed the batter to advance to first base and continue the inning.
D'Youville eventually scored the go-ahead run on a Panther error, then plated two more on a bases-loaded single to center to go up 6-3.
Looking to rally in the bottom of the eighth, Fratercangelo doubled and Gabby Carpenter singled to put runners on for Hillery.
She then knocked a single to center and scored Fratercangelo for her second hit of the day, but the rally would end there as D'Youville held on for the 6-4 win.
With the win, the Spartans move on in the AMCC Tournament.
Kerrigan Hoffmann started in the circle for the Panthers and delivered two-plus innings of work before handing the ball off to Melanie Davis for two more innings.
Jordan Uhing threw the final four innings, striking out five.
Hillery and Fratercangelo dropped in a pair of hits each including a double apiece to lead the Panthers' seven-hit effort.
For their performances during the Panthers' three games in the AMCC Tournament, Uhing and Dzurisin were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Saturday's defeat concludes the Pitt-Bradford careers of graduates Lindsey Hull, Madison East, Grace Dadzaa, Liz Dzurisin and Maddy Hillery.
Pitt-Bradford will look to continue its success into next year as 15 players are set to return in 2020.