Bradford, PA -- University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball head coach Tina Phillips reached a career milestone on Thursday as the game one win over Keuka gave her career win 400. The Panthers won the opener 9-3, then saw a furious comeback come back a run short in the nightcap, dropping game two 7-6.
Game 1:
In the opener, Pitt-Bradford slugged their way to a 9-3 win in game one, hitting a trio of three-run home runs in the victory.
The first inning and a half of the game was quiet, as starting pitcher Krislyn Clement allowed just a walk through the first two frames, while the Panthers were set down in order in the opening frame.
Pitt-Bradford jumped into the lead in the 2nd, scoring twice with just one hit. Kalie led off the frame by earning a walk after a long at-bat and then moved to third when the Wolves made an error on Meghan Kapp's sacrifice bunt. Following a steal and a fly ball to right, Lauren Frascella put the Panthers in the lead, reaching on an infield single to shortstop that brought in Dixon. Christa Koagel followed with a sacrifice squeeze bunt, bringing Kapp to double the advantage.
Clement shut down Keuka in the following inning, retiring the side with three groundouts, and was rewarded, as the Panthers doubled their advantage in the bottom half. Miranda Groll led off with a single to left and then came around to score as Sara Stroup blasted a high fly ball over the wall in left-center for a two-run home run. The home run was Stroup's 4th of the year. The next two Panthers' singled to restart a rally, but three straight outs brought the inning to a close.
Keuka battled back in the 4th, scoring 3 runs on 4 hits. Following a leadoff double and a strikeout, Clement allowed back-to-back singles, which allowed the Wolves to break the ice. Both runners went on to score after two wild pitches and a groundout, cutting the lead to one. Keuka could not hold onto the momentum for long, as Pitt-Bradford tacked on two more runs in the bottom half. Lexi Najdusak hit a one-out single to left and then moved up to third on two wild pitches. She scored a batter later when Stroup hit a line drive to center that kept traveling and cleared the fence for her second round-tripper of the day.
Clement posted another shutdown inning in the 5th and then stranded a runner on third base to end the 6th. In the bottom of the 6th, Pitt-Bradford tacked on three insurance runs. Groll led off the frame and dropped down a bunt. She beat out the infield hit, and was able to continue around the bases, as the Wolves also made a throwing error on the play. The throw sailed down the first base line into a right field that was vacated by an outfield shift. Groll sped around the bases and easily scored on the play. After Stroup was retired on a fly ball to center, Klement hit a triple to right center, and then Ciera Adams lined a home run to dead center to put the Panthers up 9-3. It was her first of the year.
Clement picked up two outs after a leadoff single, but the Wolves made things interesting with a single and a walk to load the bases. Down to their final out, the Wolves' cleanup batter hit a line drive toward the gap in right-center, but Groll got a great jump and tracked down the fly ball for the final out.
Krislyn Clement (2-6) picked up the complete game victory for the Panthers. She allowed 3 earned runs on 7 hits while striking out 6. Sara Stroup finished 2 for 4 with a pair of home runs and 4 RBIs, while Ciera Adams also hit a home run, finishing 1 for 2. Clement helped her own cause, going 3 for 4 at the plate with a single, double and a triple. Lauren Frascella also had a multihit game, finishing 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored.
Game 2:
Pitt-Bradford's offense started slowly in the nightcap, and the Panthers fell behind early in game two. They eventually trailed by four runs in the 7th. Despite a furious rally, The Panthers came up just short, falling 7-6.
The Panthers fell behind in the top of the first, as Keuka hit back-to-back doubles off of starting pitcher Christa Koagel. The Panthers offense mustered only a two-out Kapp single in the second before the Wolves pushed their advantage to 4 runs before an out could be recorded in the third. Following an infield error to start the frame, Koagel allowed a double to left center, doubling the lead. She would be chased from the game a batter later after a two-run home run to center field put the Panthers down 4-0. She was replaced by Sandra Watne, who induced three straight grounders to end the frame.
In the 5th, the Wolves tacked another run onto their lead with consecutive one-out hits. A single to left was followed by a ball to the gap that allowed the runner to score from first on a single. Pitt-Bradford's offense responded in the bottom of the inning, getting the run right back. Lilly Hamels led off the frame and reached on an error, before moving to third base on a Kapp double to right center. Following a strikeout, Watne helped her own cause, driving in Hamels on a sacrifice fly to right.
Watne posted a 1-2-3 shutdown inning in the 6th, and the Panthers continued to build momentum, scoring twice in their half of the frame. Groll led off with a perfectly placed push-bunt and then stole second. After Stroup walked, Clement doubled to dead center, bringing in Groll and putting runners on second and third. Following a strikeout, Hamels brought in another run with an RBI groundout to cut the lead to 2. Kapp followed and looked to drive in another run with a ground ball through the left side of the infield, but the Keuka shortstop made a diving play in the hole and then threw across the diamond from the ground to end the inning and strand the runner on third.
Unfortunately for Watne, the junior hurler could not keep the momentum with Pitt-Bradford, as the Wolves were able to add two more runs to their total in the 7th. She allowed a leadoff single and then a double to right field, putting a pair of runners in scoring position. She got the next batter to ground out, but a run was scored on the play and she was relieved before the next batter. Kalie Dixon came into the game for Watne but failed to keep the inherited runner from scoring, as a passed ball allowed the 7th run of the game to score. She kept the wolves from adding anything further, picking up a strikeout and a grounder back to the circle to end the inning.
Pitt-Bradford needed 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th to extend the game, and the situation became more grim after the first two batters of the inning grounded out. Payton Frank kept the game alive, reaching on an infield single to third. She scored a batter later when Groll turned on a pitch and hit a high fly over the fence in left field for a two-run home run. It was her first of the year. Sara Stroup continued the rally when she was hit by a pitch, and then moved to third as Clement reached on a throwing error to keep the Panthers alive. Adams singled through the right side to drive in Stroup and cut the lead to 1 before Lilly Hamels reached on an infield single to the left side to load the bases. The Panthers had the tying run on third and the winning run on second, but could not complete the comeback, as Kapp hit a ground ball to third that was cleanly fielded and thrown across the diamond for the final out.
Christa Koagel (0-4) received the loss after allowing 4 runs, 3 earned, on 5 hits in 2+ innings pitched. She struck out one. Sandra Watne pitched 4.1 innings in relief of Koagel and gave up 3 runs, 2 earned on 5 hits. She also had one strikeout. Kalie Dixon pitched the final two-thirds, striking out one batter and allowing a walk. Miranda Groll led the offense, finishing 2 for 4 with a 2-run home run and a pair of runs scored. Meghan Kapp had a multihit game in the loss, while Krislyn Clement, Ciera Adams, Lilly Hamels, and Watne all drove in runs.
The Split moves the Panthers to 4-12 on the season. They are scheduled to return to action on Saturday when they host Westminster. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
