La Verne, CA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team returned to action on the West Coast Tuesday evening, playing a doubleheader against La Verne. The Panther pitching and defense struggled for 3 total innings, allowing 16 of 18 runs on the day in those frames as they were swept by the Leopards 9-0 and 9-1.
Game One:
The opener saw the Panthers play as the home team, and struggle to find their footing. They committed 6 errors, while tallying 6 hits in the game on the way to a 9-0 loss.
Krislyn Clement started game one for the Panthers and ran into a jam early, walking the leadoff batter. After the runner stole second, Clement got some help as her batterymate Lilly Hamels threw out the runner trying to steal third. She allowed one infield single, but then induced a pair of fly balls to left to end the threat. In the bottom half, Miranda Groll got things started with a single up the middle. After she moved into scoring position on a passed ball, Sara Stroup, Clement, and Hamels all hit fly balls into the outfield, but could not find grass, stranding Groll on second.
Things fell apart for the Panthers in the second, as they allowed 5 runs to score in the frame. Clement allowed just 2 hits and 2 walks, but 4 errors in the field and a wild pitch allowed the Leopards to jump ahead 5-0. La Verne put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out after the runs had scored, but Clement induced a pair of pop-ups in the infield to end the frame. In the bottom half, the Panthers were retired in order.
Clement went on to put up 3 zeroes after the big inning, but they were straining for the junior pitcher as the Leopards threatened to score with multiple hits in each of the frames. Pitt-Bradford put runners on in the 3rd, 4th and 5th but could not find the big hit to bring in the runs.
Clemene was replaced by Sandra Watne in the 6th. Watne walked the leadoff batter and allowed a single with one out but got the Leopards to fly out to end the inning. Groll led off the 6th with a single and a stolen base, but once again was left in scoring position as the next three batters were retired.
In the 7th, Watne retired the first batter, but made a throwing error to let the next batter reach base. She got the second out of the inning on a sacrifice bunt, but struggled to find the final out of the inning, as she allowed 3 singles and a double, which brought in 4 more runs. Ciera Adams led off the 7th with a single, but was caught off the bag and thrown out for the first out. The out on the basepaths was compounded a batter later as Meghan Kapp doubled down the right field line a few pitches later. She was lifted for pinch runner Christa Koagel, who was left on base as the next two Panthers grounded out to third, ending the game.
Krislyn Clement (0-2) picked up the loss for the Panthers. She allowed 5 runs on 5 hits in 5.0 innings, but all 5 were unearned. Sandra Watne pitched 2.0 innings and allowed 4 earned runs. Miranda Groll was the only Panther to record a multi-hit game, as she finished 2 for 3. Meghan Kapp had the Panthers' lone extra-base hit, a 7th-inning double.
Game Two:
In the nightcap, the Panthers fell behind right off the bat as the Leopards exploded for 7 runs in the first and never looked back, ultimately winning 9-1 in 5 innings.
Pitt-Bradford was retired quickly in the 1st, grounding out three times. Christa Koagel started in the circle for the Panthers and ran into immediate trouble. She retired the first batter, but then allowed a single and a home run. The next 7 Leopards reached base. 5 of them scored off of two walks, three hits, a passed ball and a wild pitch. The Panthers were able to cut down one runner when right fielder Jada Polczynski threw out a runner at the plate. The inning finally came to an end after 11 batters with a strikeout.
Lilly Hamels reached on a single in the 2nd, but was left on first base. In the bottom half, Koagel posted a zero, allowing two hits but also getting some help defensively as Miranda Groll cut down a runner on the basepaths.
Pitt-Bradford was finally able to get on the board in the 3rd, using a two out rally to score. Groll started the rally, hitting a double to deep right. She was driven in a batter later on a Sara Stroup single to center. Clement continued the rally with another single before both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Unfortunately, they did not come around to score, a Ciera Adams grounded out to third to end the threat.
Pitt-Bradford did not hold onto any momentum gained from the rally, as the eopards came right back and scored twice in the bottom of the third. Koagel walked the leadoff batter, but retired the next two batters. She induced another ground ball, looking to get out of the inning, but made an errant throw to first, which allowed a run to score. After a stolen base, the Leopards tacked on another run with a single up the middle.
The Panthers went down quietly in the 4th, as they were retired in order on three consecutive groundouts. Kalie Dixon replaced Koagel in the bottom of the fourth, and worked around a one-out single to retire the side without a run being scored. Trailing by 8, Pitt-Bradford once again was retired on three ground balls in the 5th inning, bringing the game to an end.
Christa Koagel (0-1) received the loss after allowing 9 runs, 5 earned, on 8 hits and 4 walks. She struck out one. Kalie Dixon pitched one inning, allowing 1 hit while striking out 1 batter. Offensively, the Panthers only mustered 4 hits. Miranda Groll had a double and scored a run, while Sara Stroup drove her in with a single. Krislyn Clemet and Lilly Hamels also had singles in the loss.
The losses drop the Panthers to 0-4 to begin the season. They are scheduled to play Cal Lutheran on Wednesday, however, the game has been postponed due to predicted rain storms. A decision regarding a make-up date has not yet been made.
