Posted: Mar 28, 2024
Keuka Park, N.Y. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team returned to action on Thursday after nearly a two-week layoff since their final day of competition in Florida. The Panthers took on Keuka, dropping game one 5-4 on a walk-off before taking game two 11-2 in six innings.
Game 1: Pitt-Bradford 4 - Keuka 5
The opener saw the Panthers take an early lead on their hosts but could not hold off a late rally in the 6th and 7th.
They scored two runs right off the bat. Faith McLaughlin started the game with a double and then opened the scoring two batters later on an RBI groundout by Sara Stroup. Lexi Peters restarted the inning with a single and then scored on another hit by Lilly Hamels.
Local product Bri Heller took the circle for the Panthers and was dominant, pitching 5 innings in the game, and allowing just 1 run on 2 hits. She struck out 5 batters. The lone run she allowed came in the 3rd on a one-out triple, followed by a sacrifice fly.
In the 5th, the Panthers were able to add to their lead with two clutch singles. The inning started with two infield singles but seemed to be nearing an end after a pop-up and a fly ball to center. With two outs, Hamels legged out a single to short, and then Krislyn Clement singled in another run to put Pitt-Bradford ahead 4-1.
The Panthers made a pitching change to start the 6th and quickly ran into trouble. reliever Meghan Kapp quickly loaded the bases on two hit batters and a walk. She was able to induce a ground ball on the next batter, but an error in the infield allowed two to score. She struck out the next batter and then gave up a sacrifice fly to right, which brought in a run and tied the game at 4.
Despite a leadoff single and a stolen base in the 7th, the Panthers could not come up with a hit to retake the lead, and then could not keep the Wolves off the board in the 7th, as the hosts brought in the winning run on an error after a fly out.
Kapp picked up the loss after allowing 4 runs, 1 earned, in 2 innings of work. Bri Heller receives a no-decision after 5.0 innings allowing just 1 run on 2 hits. Offensively, Lilly Hamels finished 3 for 4 and drove in 2 runs. Seniors Faith McLaughlin and Lexi Peters had two hits each.
Game 2: Pit-Bradford 11 - Keuka 2 - 6 Innings
In the nightcap, the Panthers once again went ahead early but never looked back. They scored in each of their first three at-bats and then pushed their lead to 10 runs in the 6th, allowing them to finish the game early.
Pitt-Bradford took advantage of some sloppy defense from the Wolves to score once in the first without a hit. They tacked on two more in the 2nd as the first two batters of the inning reached on errors and then scored on a Kapp single and a McLaughlin sacrifice fly.
The Panthers doubled their lead in the 3rd, using 3 extra-base hits and a few wild pitches to go ahead 6-0. Stroup led off with a double and then moved to third When Peters also doubled. The two went on to score on a passed ball and another sacrifice fly. Clement restarted the rally with a triple to center and then scored on a wild pitch.
Clement was also the starting pitcher for the Panthers and continued her dominant form in the circle. She kept the Wolves off the board through 4 innings, before allowing a run on a double, infield single and sacrifice fly in the 5th.
Pitt-Bradford responded in the 6th, scoring 5 runs on 4 hits and an error to bring the game to an early close. Pinch hitter Kendall Dotson led off with a single. She was on 2nd after two batters were retired, and then moved to 3rd when the inning continued as Heller reached on an error. The Panthers took advantage of the extra outs, as the heart of their lineup pushed the runs across. Stroup brought in Dotson with a single, and then Peters doubled to left to add two more. After a walk, Clement recorded her second 3-bagger of the day, bringing in the final two runs.
Sandra Watne replaced Clement to pitch the 6th. She allowed a run to score on a leadoff triple and an RBI groundout, before retiring two of the next three batters to end the game.
Krislyn Clement (5-0) was the star of the game for the Panthers. In the circle she pitched 5.0 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 5 hits while striking out 6 batters. At the plate, she went 2 for 4 with 2 triples, 2 runs scored, and 2 driven in. Sara Stroup finished 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored and one RBI. Peters also had her second multi-hit game of the day, finishing 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs.
The Panthers move to 11-5 on the season. They will be back in action on Monday, as they travel to Grove City for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30. They will play their first home game on Wednesday, April 3rd against Penn State-Behrend. The games will begin at 3:00 at the Softball field at the Kessel Athletic Complex.
