BRADFORD, Pa. – The Pitt-Bradford softball team faced off against D'Youville and the Panthers fell in both games against the Spartans, 12-4 and 5-4.
D'Youville had the bats working against the Panthers early as they were able to put up 11 runs in the first four innings to take an 11-0 lead.
In D'Youville's first 11 runs, MacKenzie Kehlenbeck went 3-3 with a home run, triple and a single to bring in five Spartans.
The Panthers finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as junior Leann Bell (Lance/West Branch) drove in senior Bri Stenta (Ridgway/Ridgway) to cut the lead to 11-1.
After D'Youville plated one more in the top of the fifth, the Panthers went on to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth after junior Meagan Hillard (Bradford/Bradford) smacked a home run to left field, but the Panthers could not come back as they fell to the Spartans in game one, 12-4.
Game two started with Kehlenbeck picking up right where she left off as she put D'Youville on the board first with a solo home run in the top of the second inning.
The Panthers answered in the bottom of the third after Stenta singled and Bell drove her in to tie the game back at 1-1.
The scoring picked up in the top of the fifth as the Spartans collected two more runs on two hits to push the lead to 3-1.
Pitt-Bradford chipped away at the lead getting one back in the bottom of the fifth after Bell singled home another run to cut the Spartans' lead down to 3-2.
After drawing within one run, the Panthers gave up a two-run home run to the Spartans in the top of the seventh as they went into their final at bats down 5-2.
The Panthers started a comeback after a throwing error that would have ended the game, but instead gave the Panthers new life. With two outs in the inning, senior Courtney Schuler (Smethport/Smethport) drove home a run and another Panther scored on a passed ball to cut the lead down to one run with Schuler on third and sophomore Jill Fleming at the plate.
Fleming would fly out to right field as the Panthers stranded the tying run on third, falling 5-4.
The Panthers will take the field again when they travel to Medaille on April 14 at 3 p.m.
