Ebensburg, PA. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Softball team began conference play on Sunday afternoon, dropping a pair of games to Mount Aloysius. The Panthers lost the opener 9-4 and then fell in their third walk-off of the season 5-4 in the nightcap.
Game 1-
The Panthers got off to a tough start as they fell behind early. After Pitt-Bradford was unable to take advantage of a leadoff walk, the Mounties jumped on starting pitcher Ashton BEckerink for 4 runs in the bottom of the first. Following a homerun to start the frame, the Mounties took advantage of a pair of Panther errors to tack on 3 more.
The Mounties added a run in the 2nd on another home run, before the Panthers were able to break through for 3 runs in the 3rd. Beckerink helped her own cause to start the rally, hitting her first career home run. The Panthers continued their rally with a Marguerite DeFranco walk and a single for Chloe Cordova and then Pitt-Bradford scored a second run as Daytona Wentzel doubled home DeFranco. Lexi Peters brought in the last run of the frame on an RBI groundout.
Beckerink was unable to keep the momentum with the Panthers, however, as a pair of two-out hits brought in two more runs for the Mounties. The Panthers were unable to get back started after the 3rd, as the next 9 batters were retired in order. Lindsay Steele replaced Beckerink in the circle to start the 4th and kept the Panthers in the game. She retired the side in order in her first two innings of work but saw the Mountie lead grow to 6 in the bottom of the 6th, as she allowed a 2-run home run with two outs.
The Panthers started a rally in the 7th but were unable to score more than one run. Ciera Adams pinch-hit and drew a walk with one out. After a strikeout, Defranco and Cordova hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Rachel Przybysz brought in a run with a bases-loaded walk but the rally came to a quick end as Wentzel's line drive was caught at short to end the game.
Ashton Beckerink (1-4) picks up the loss after allowing 7 runs, 5 earned, in 3 innings pitched. She struck out 3. She also chipped in offensively, hitting her first career home run. Lindsay Steele also pitched three innings, allowing 2 earned runs. Chloe Cordova finished 2 for 3 with a run scored and Daytona Wentzel had an RBI double.
Game 2-
The Panthers got off to a fast start in the second game of the double dip, as Chloe Cordova led off the contest with a home run. The blast was the first of Cordova's career. Ashley Stein started the game in the circle for Pitt-Bradford, and she was unable to keep the Panthers in front for long, as the Mounties matched Cordova's lead-off long ball with one of their own.
Stein kept the Mounties off the board in the 2nd but a two-out double followed by an RBI single put Mount Aloysius in front. Daytona Wentzel singled to lead off the 4th for Pitt-Bradford but was quickly erased on a double play. The Mounties tacked on another run in the 4th as a double to start the frame led to an RBI sacrifice fly. Following a walk with one out, Stein was replaced by Krislyn Clement, who retired the next two batters to end the inning.
The Panthers only mustered a two-out walk in the 5th, and then Mount Aloysius added another run in the bottom half. Following a leadoff walk, a wild pitch allowed the runner to move all the way to third, and then score on a single. A pair of passed balls put another runner on third base, but Clement escaped further damage.
Trailing 4-1 the Panthers needed to rally in their final two at-bats and were able to start with a two-run 6th. DeFranco hit a one-out single and then after a pop-up, Lexi Peters hit a home run to cut the lead to 1. It was Peters' second home run of the season. Clement posted a big shutdown inning in the bottom half, as she worked around a leadoff walk to put up a zero.
In the 7th, the Panthers were able to tie the game at four with a two-out rally. Lexi Najdusak started the rally with a single and then moved into scoring position as Rachel Przybysz drew a walk. Cordova came through with a big hit, singling home Najdusak to tie the game. Despite a single to start the bottom of the 7th, Clement was able to retire the next three batters to force extra innings.
In the bonus frame, an out on the basepaths preceded a Lexi Peters single, keeping the Panthers off the board in their half of the inning. The Panthers had no such luck in the bottom half, as after a bunt single put runners on the corners, a wild pitch allowed the winning run to score.
Krislyn Clement (2-4) picked up the tough loss in relief. She allowed 2 runs, 1 earned on 3 hits in 3.1 innings pitched. She struck out 4. Ashley Stein received a no-decision after allowing 3 runs on 7 hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Lexi Peters and Chloe Cordova provided most of the offense for the Panthers in the game. Peters finished 3 for 4 with a two-run home run. Cordova was 2-4 in the game, hitting her first career home run to start the game, as well as the game-tying single in the 7th. Marguerite DeFranco, Daytona Wentzel, and Lexi Najdusak all added hits for the Panthers.
The Panthers fall to 4-14 on the season and are now 0-2 to begin conference play. They will be right back in action tomorrow afternoon, as they open up their home slate with a doubleheader against Medaille. Action is slated to start at 3:00 p.m.
