Allegany, N.Y. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Softball team picked up a pair of conference road wins on Tuesday, sweeping Alfred State in an AMCC doubleheader held at St. Bonaventure. The Panthers used a dominant performance from Krislyn Clement to win the opener 6-1, and then rallied with six runs in the sixth inning to take game two 10-5.
The Panther offense got off to a slow start, as they were kept off the board for the first four innings. Krislyn Clement was able to keep the Panthers close, allowing just one run on a two-out single in the third.
The Panthers were finally able to break through with a run in the fourth. After an error, Clement was able to help her own cause at the plate, hitting a triple to bring in Lilly Hamels.
After Clement set the Pioneers down in order in the fourth, the Panthers used four hits and a pair of errors to jump out to a five run lead. Lexi Najdusak started the frame by reaching on an error and then after a Faith McLaughlin single, moved to third on a double steal. The Panthers went ahead when Sara Stroup reached on an error, and then doubled their advantage on an RBI groundout from Lexi Peters. Lilly Hamels brought in another run with a single through the right side. After Clement singled to continue the rally and stole second, Miranda Groll capped the rally with a two-run double.
Clement would take over in the circle from that point forward, allowing one runner to reach on a hit in the sixth, and another on a walk in the seventh to finish the game.
Krislyn Clement picked up the complete game win, allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks. She struck out seven batters. She also had a strong game at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI. Faith McLaughlin also went 2-for-4 in the game, while Miranda Groll was 2-for-2 with a two-run double.
Pitt-Bradford then fell behind early in game two, as starting pitcher Sandra Watne was tagged for two runs in the first. She posted a 1-2-3 inning in the second, and then saw the Panther offense cut the deficit in half in the third. Najdusak singled to right and then after stealing second base, scored on a double to left center by McLaughlin.
The Pioneers got the run right back in the third on two hits and a sacrifice bunt, but Pitt-Bradford rallied to tie the game in the next frame. Clement hit her second three-bagger of the day to start the rally, and then scored on a single by Meghan Kapp. Pinch runner Lauren Frascella moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and then scored on a Ciera Adams single to tie the game at three.
Bri Heller relieved Watne to start the fourth and allowed the Pioneers to retake the lead with two walks and a double. The Alfred-State lead did not last long, as the Panthers scored quickly in the fifth. Stroup led off with a double and then scored on a single by Peters.
Alfred State was able to score again in the fifth, scoring on a leadoff single, a stolen base and a second single with one out. Pitt-Bradford responded again in their next at bat, this time putting the game out of reach with six runs.
Adams led off the sixth with a single to center and then moved to third on a wild pitch and an error. After a walk loaded the bases, the Panthers tied the game when Adams raced home and scored on a passed ball. Following a Stoup walk to reload the bases, Peters singled through the left side to bring in two more.
The big hit was followed by a Pioneer pitching change, but it did not slow the Panthers. After a fly out, four straight Panthers singled to tack on three more runs. Kapp, Groll and Adams all registered RBIs in the rally.
Heller was able to shut the game down from there, using a 4-6-3 double play to end the sixth and set down the side in order to finish the game in the seventh.
Bri Heller (5-2) registered the win after pitching four innings in relief. She allowed two runs to score on four hits and two walks. She struck out four. Sandra Watne pitched three innings, allowing three runs while striking out two. Ciera Adams and Meghan Kapp each went 3-for-4 in the win and drove in two runs apiece. Lexi Peters finished 2-for-5 and drove in three runs. Lexi Najdusak and Krislyn Clement both had multi-hit games as well.
The Panthers are now 14-6 on the season, including a 3-1 record in AMCC play. They will be back in action on Saturday when they host Penn State- Altoona. First Pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. on the Softball Field at the Kessel Athletic Complex.
