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PITTSBURG —
The Pittsburg State Gorillas were a couple bad innings removed from a sweep Wednesday of No. 23-ranked Winona State at the PSU Softball Complex.
The Gorillas belted out 27 hits, winning the first game 10-5 and losing the second 13-11 in eight innings. The Warriors scored six in the second, four in the fourth and three in the eighth to salvage the split.
“It’s just the little things that sometimes you can’t see on the scoreboard,” Pitt State head coach Elizabeth Economon said. “It’s little things, cutting a ball off in the gap or getting the lead (runner) out and mostly mental errors. We’re confident they will iron themselves out. It’s very frustrating because we were that close to sweeping No. 23 and we just kind of let it slip.
“We’re not quite there yet. Great for us to play good competition. We always talk about how in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. We’re definitely loading up on our schedule and that’s great. The girls are seeing great pitchers and this team hit the ball like crazy. If we can get a couple of those things taken care of on defense, then we’re not in a tie ballgame in the eighth. We’re up by three or four.”
The Pitt State offense returned from its hibernation of the previous four home games with as many hits in the second game Wednesday against Winona State as the four games against Central Oklahoma and Northwestern Oklahoma State combined, 15.
“We had some chats about pitch selection and approach and keeping the same mentality in going up to the plate and attacking the pitcher,” Economon said. “We did a much better job as a whole group doing that today. Our offense is coming back, which typically helps takes some pressure off. Winona State’s a great team. We knew that coming in. Our offense is coming back so hopefully we can keep that rolling in the conference series (Lindenwood on Friday, Truman State on Saturday).”
Senior first baseman Kreslee Ketcham had a career day: 8-for-8 with four runs scored, two home runs and seven RBI, increasing her batting average 88 points (from .226 to .314).
“She’s back in the swing,” Economon said. “She’s starting to see the ball better and to have better timing. Once you hit a couple of them on the nose, it feels good and you get everything back, especially confidence. We’re glad to have her hitting the ball well. She’s going to be a big part of our offense.”
The Pittsburg State Gorillas were a couple bad innings removed from a sweep Wednesday of No. 23-ranked Winona State at the PSU Softball Complex.
The Gorillas belted out 27 hits, winning the first game 10-5 and losing the second 13-11 in eight innings. The Warriors scored six in the second, four in the fourth and three in the eighth to salvage the split.
“It’s just the little things that sometimes you can’t see on the scoreboard,” Pitt State head coach Elizabeth Economon said. “It’s little things, cutting a ball off in the gap or getting the lead (runner) out and mostly mental errors. We’re confident they will iron themselves out. It’s very frustrating because we were that close to sweeping No. 23 and we just kind of let it slip.
“We’re not quite there yet. Great for us to play good competition. We always talk about how in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. We’re definitely loading up on our schedule and that’s great. The girls are seeing great pitchers and this team hit the ball like crazy. If we can get a couple of those things taken care of on defense, then we’re not in a tie ballgame in the eighth. We’re up by three or four.”
The Pitt State offense returned from its hibernation of the previous four home games with as many hits in the second game Wednesday against Winona State as the four games against Central Oklahoma and Northwestern Oklahoma State combined, 15.
“We had some chats about pitch selection and approach and keeping the same mentality in going up to the plate and attacking the pitcher,” Economon said. “We did a much better job as a whole group doing that today. Our offense is coming back, which typically helps takes some pressure off. Winona State’s a great team. We knew that coming in. Our offense is coming back so hopefully we can keep that rolling in the conference series (Lindenwood on Friday, Truman State on Saturday).”
Senior first baseman Kreslee Ketcham had a career day: 8-for-8 with four runs scored, two home runs and seven RBI, increasing her batting average 88 points (from .226 to .314).
“She’s back in the swing,” Economon said. “She’s starting to see the ball better and to have better timing. Once you hit a couple of them on the nose, it feels good and you get everything back, especially confidence. We’re glad to have her hitting the ball well. She’s going to be a big part of our offense.”
Ketcham owns a .314 average with six homers and 15 RBI on the season.
Winona State head coach Greg Jones decided to intentionally walk Ketcham in the bottom of the eighth, placing the tying run on first base. Ketcham tied up the game at 10 with a towering three-run homer in the sixth. Jones decided not to give her a second chance and this move paid dividends immediately with a game-ending popout.
Big hits were the name of the second game.
Tiffany Brown gave Pitt State a 2-0 lead with a first-inning home run.
Winona State exploded for six runs in the second inning, highlighted by a three-run double by pitcher Ashley Walker, who supported herself with four RBI before taking a no-decision.
Kayla Sears cut the deficit to 6-4 with a two-run double scoring fellow seniors Ketcham and Katelyn Birchfield, reigning MIAA Offensive Player of the Week.
Jenny Nelson gave the guests a 10-4 lead with a grand slam in the fourth.
Pitt State scored the next six runs to force extra innings: Birchfield RBI single and Ketcham two-run double in the fourth, then Ketcham’s dramatic game-tying blast.
Winona State struck first in extra innings with a two-run home run by Morgan Lintz the decisive runs.
Pitt State won the first game with seven unanswered runs after trailing 5-3.
Brenna George started the scoring for Pitt State with a two-run double, Brown picked up two RBI on a single and a double, and Ketcham hit a two-run shot.
Kyndel Shelburn pitched three scoreless innings for the save.
Pitt State moved to 14-8 and Winona State to 15-5.
The Warriors of Winona State have found difficulty playing games in the climes of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference — no home games yet and lengthy road trips to Missouri Southern and Pitt State to find games against regional opponents. The Warriors are slated for their home opener Tuesday against Upper Iowa.
Wednesday temperatures in Pittsburg were 41 degrees, while it was a high of 21 in Winona, Minn.
Game One
Pittsburg State 10, Winona State 5
WSU 002 300 0 — 5 7 2
PSU 003 313 X — 10 12 2
Britt Stewart, Michelle Lund (4) and Jordan Peterson. Haleigh Sills, Samantha Grove (4), Kyndel Shelburn (5) and Kayla Sears. WP: Grove (3-2). LP: Stewart (4-4). SV: Shelburn (1). E: Morgan Lintz, Jenny Nelson; Cheslyn Mitchell, Jordan Bradshaw. 2B: Tiffany Brown, Katelyn Birchfield. HR: Kreslee Ketcham. SH: Lintz, Peterson; Sears. SF: Bradshaw. SB: Brown. HBP: Kaitlin Hardie; Riley Campbell, Molly Stiens.
Game Two
Winona State 13, Pittsburg State 11 (8 innings)
WSU 060 400 03 — 13 13 1
PSU 202 303 01 — 11 15 1
Ashley Walker, Michelle Lund (7) and Jordan Peterson, Courtney Kloes. Kyndel Shelburn, Jessica Barnes (5) and Kayla Sears. WP: Lund (1-0). LP: Barnes (0-1). E: Jessica Kullmann; Molly Stiens. 2B: Walker, Morgan Lintz; Brenna George, Kreslee Ketcham, Sears. HR: Lintz; Tiffany Brown, Ketcham. GS: Jenny Nelson. SB: Reed Karsten. HBP: Walker, Lintz.
