Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford returns to home action on Saturday as it looks to get back into the win column against Penn State-Altoona. The Panthers will also be celebrating seven players with Senior Day Festivities before the action begins.
The Panthers enter the contest with a 6-2 record following two losses at Penn State-Behrend during their midweek matchup. They lost eh first game 10-2 in 6 innings, and the second in walk-off fashion 8-7 after a 3 run comeback in the 7th.
A four-hit game brought outfielder Faith McLaughlin's batting average to .529, which is the second-best percentage in the AMCC. She also leads the Panthers in runs scored, with 8. Hannah Lathrop has continued her hot-hitting start, as she is batting .462 through 8 games. She has 4 extra-base hits, including a home run.
Pitt-Bradford's pitchers' ERA suffered after facing the hot bats from the Lions. Jordan Uhing went 6.1 innings in the second game, allowing 8 runs. She is now 3-1 with a 2.82 era. It is still good enough for 3rd in the AMCC. Kerrigan Hoffmann pitched 1+ innings in the game one loss, allowing 6 runs. She is also 3-1 with a 3.50 era, the sixth-lowest in the conference.
Penn State-Altoona enters the double header 5-6-1 overall, with a 4-4 record in AMCC play. They are coming off of a split doubleheader with LaRoche. The Lions won a pitchers duel in the opener 2-1, but lost a slugfest in the second game 15-9.
Junior C/3b Kristen Hewitt leads the offense for Penn State Altoona. She is hitting .474 through 12 games. She is third in the AMCC in hits with 18. Olivia Smith has produced and scored the most runs for the Lion offense, bringing 11 home and scoring 9.
Sophomore Casey Reese has started 7 games for the Lions, picking up all 5 of their wins and 4 losses. She has a 4.39 era and is second in the AMCC in strikeouts, with 33. Junior Makenzie Lukehart has picked up the majority of the remaining innings for Penn State-Altoona. She enters the games with an 0-2 record and a 4.93 era.
Prior to the start of the game, the Panthers will honor 7 graduating players and their families on the field. The players to be recognized are outfielder Mackenzie Bonyak, shortstop Gabby Carpenter, catcher Kendra Colegrove, pitcher Kerrigan Hoffmann, infielder Hannah Lathrop, infielder Jessica Milliron, and pitcher Jordan Uhing. The festivities will begin shortly before the scheduled time for first pitch, 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
