Alfred, N.Y. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team used just 10 innings to pick up a pair of dominating AMCC victories over Alfred State on Saturday, winning 11-1 and 10-0 in two games that ended after five innings.
Game 1 -
The Panthers pounced on their hosts early in game one, scoring 2 in the first to take an early lead. Chloe Cordova led off the game with a single and then quickly stole second. After Faith McLaughlin reached on an error, The Panthers used a double steal that resulted in an out and a run scored. Daytona Wentzel followed, restarting the rally with a triple to right center. She scored a batter later as Lexi Peters drove her in with an RBI groundout. The Pioneers were able to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning. Starting pitcher Krislyn Clement allowed a one-out triple and then after a strikeout was unable to escape the inning untouched as a single to center brought in the run. Clement allowed another single to put two runners on but quickly ended the inning with a strikeout.
Pitt-Bradford did not let the hosts build any momentum in the second, as they exploded for five runs. Marguerite DeFranco drew a leadoff walk and then moved to third on a groundout and a single by Lexi Najdusak. She was able to scamper home on a wild pitch, answering the Alfred State run. Rachel PRzybysz continued the rally, drawing a walk, and the Panthers added another run on a throwing error. The error resulted in runners getting to second and third and subsequently a single to center from Faith McLaughlin, pushing the lead to 6-1. McLaughlin stole second and then two runs scored a batter later when Wentzel dropped her second hit of the game into centerfield.
Clement posted an important shutdown inning in the bottom of the 2nd, working around a one-out walk to post a zero before the Panthers were able to extend their lead to 11-1 in the 3rd. DeFranco started the rally again, this time singling into left. This was followed by a Hannah Fisher single and a wild pitch, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. DeFranco and Fisher were able to score on the next play as Najdusak reached on an error and then Przybysz hit a single into center to bring in Najdusak. Cordova and McLaughlin both singled once again to bring Przybysz around before three straight Panthers were retired to end the frame. The Pioneers put the leadoff batter on in the 3rd through an error, but Clement worked around it, retiring three straight batters for her second straight shutdown inning.
Alfred State struck out the side around a LExi NAjdusak single in the 4th, but Clement posted another 0 in the inning, stranding a runner after a two-out walk. The Panthers were unable to add to the score in the 5th, before Clement slammed the door in the bottom of the inning, allowing just a two-out single to bring the game to an early end.
Krislyn Clement (4-4) picked up the victory after allowing 1 earned run on just 4 hits in her complete game win. She struck out 5. The Panthers tallied 11 hits in the game, with four different batters recording multi-hit games. Faith McLaughlin and Daytona Wentzel both went 2 for 3 with a run and 2 RBIs, while Lexi Najdusak and Chloe Cordova both had two hits and two runs scored.
Game 2-
The Panthers continued their dominating play in game two, as they shut out the Pioneers in the nightcap to the tune of a 10-0 win.
Pitt-Bradford got off to another quick start in the game as they tallied two runs in the first Cordova led off the game with a double down the left field line and then scored after back-to-back groundouts. Lexi Peters restarted the inning with a double to left center and then scored as Steele reached on an error. A DeFranco single put runners on the corners with two outs, but the Panthers grounded into a fielder's choice to end the frame. Steele took to the circle for the game and despite a leadoff single and a two-out walk, was able to record a shutdown inning in the first.
The Panthers were unable to get anything going in the 2nd and 3rd innings a runner was caught stealing in the 2nd and they went down in order in the 3rd, but Steele kept the hosts in check, allowing just a leadoff single in the 2nd and a two-out hit in the 3rd. She was rewarded for her success in the 4th as the Panthers exploded for 7 runs in the inning, putting the game away early.
Steele started the rally herself, singling into left field to begin the frame. She took second on DeFranco's second base hit of the game and then scored as Krislyn Clement reached on an error in right field. Lexi Najdusak hit a single into right field to bring Degranco around and then scampered to second on the play. Both Clement and Najdusak were able to score a batter later as Rachel Przybyusz singled to center, putting the PAntehrs up 6-0. Cordova followed the 2-run single with her second two-bagger of the day as she doubled into right center. Following a popup in the infield, Daytona Wentzel drove a triple into right-center to bring in both runners and then scored a batter later as Steele recorded her second single of the inning.
Steele made quick work of the hosts in the 5th, retiring the first two batters on a strikeout and a fly ball to center, and then ended the inning after a single with a ground ball to third.
The Panthers were able to tack on their 10th run of the game in the 5th. Clement led off with a double to left and then moved to third as Meghan Kapp hit a single to right center. Lizzy Hoovler drove in the run as she reached on a fielder's choice, but was unable to progress any further as the Pioneers turned an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play on pinch hitter Madison Camp. Steele returned to the circle for the 5th, looking to close out her first career shutout. She quickly got the first two outs of the frame, striking out the leadoff batter and inducing a groundout from the second. She ran into some trouble as the next two Pioneer batters reached on a walk and a single, but was able to close the game with a fly ball to center field.
Lindsay Steele (1-3) picked up her first career win in the shutout. She kept the Pioneers off the board, scattering 5 hits and 2 walks over 5 innings of work. She struck out 2. She also put in a strong performance in the batter's box, finishing 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Chloe Cordova went 3 for 3 out of the leadoff spot, hitting a pair of doubles and scoring twice. Marguerite DeFranco also had a multi-hit game, finishing 2 for 3 with a run scored.
The wins move the Panthers to 7-15 on the season and 2-2 in AMCC play. They will be right back in action on Monday, as they will take on Baldwin Wallace in a non-conference double dip that was postponed due to weather conditions in March. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
