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The Pitt State softball team improved its record to 8-6-1 on the season with a doubleheader sweep of Bemidji State on Thursday afternoon at the PSU Softball Complex.
Pitt State won the first game 4-1, then came from a three-run deficit in the second game to win 6-3.
After Pitt State senior pitcher Melissa Slayden sat down the Beavers in order on strikes in the top of the first, the Gorilla offense went to work. Senior Cassie Martin lead off the inning with a double. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Lora Lockhart, then crossed the plate as senior Lindsay Birchfield grounded out to short. Back-to-back doubles by sophomore Mannie DeCastro and senior Jessica Jones gave the Gorillas a 2-0 lead.
Bemidji State did not get its first hit until the top of the fourth inning. Kaitlin Hill led off the inning with a base hit to shallow center. Stephanie Rossman added a one out base hit and a Slayden walk to Crystal Bowen loaded the bases. A two-out RBI base hit by Chelsea Cardinal made the score 2-1 in favor of the Gorillas.
Jones gave Pitt State a two-run lead again with a lead off home run in the bottom of the fourth.
Pitt State got another lead off home run in the bottom of the fourth, this time from Birchfield. A Jones one-out line drive up the middle forced a Bemidji State pitching change, with Cardinal coming in to replace starter Courtney Anderson. Cardinal worked for the out on the next two Gorilla batters to end the inning.
Slayden earned the win to improve her record to 5-3. She struck out 11 and gave up only one walk and five hits in the complete game effort. Anderson took the loss for Bemidji to move to 0-4 on the season. She struck out four and gave up seven hits. She was responsible for all four of the Gorilla runs.
Momentum swung in Bemidji's favor to start game two. Hill led off the game with a base hit. She advanced to second on a Jamie Ford sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch. A Rossman double to left center brought home Hill for a 1-0 lead. A two-out Cardinal home run to center put the Beavers up 3-0.
Four Beaver errors in the bottom of the sixth, helped the Gorillas to six runs and the lead. Birchfield and DeCastro led off the inning with back-to-back base hits. Kelsey Loncarich entered the game to pinch run for Birchfield. Jones reached, moved all the way to third and Loncarich and DeCastro scored on an error by the Beaver pitcher. Another Bemidji error, this time by the third baseman, found Erin DeStefano safe at second and allowed Jones to score and tie the game at 3-3. Haley Deaton knocked a base hit up the middle. Kreslee Ketcham followed with a double to score DeStefano for the 4-3 Pitt State lead. With one out, Martin ripped a two-RBI base hit up the middle for the 6-3 lead.
Hilary Erbert earned the win in the circle for PSU to move to 2-1 on the season. She struck out three and walked one. Kelsey Saralampi took the loss for Bemidji she struck out two and gave up five of the six runs. Cardinal finished the game, giving up the final run and walking one batter.
The Gorillas host Bemidji State, Oklahoma City University, Missouri Southern and Missouri-St. Louis in the Pitt State Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Pitt State and Missouri Southern open the tournament with a 4 p.m. game at the PSU Softball Complex. Click here for the complete tournament schedule and results as the games are played.
The Pitt State softball team improved its record to 8-6-1 on the season with a doubleheader sweep of Bemidji State on Thursday afternoon at the PSU Softball Complex.
Pitt State won the first game 4-1, then came from a three-run deficit in the second game to win 6-3.
After Pitt State senior pitcher Melissa Slayden sat down the Beavers in order on strikes in the top of the first, the Gorilla offense went to work. Senior Cassie Martin lead off the inning with a double. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Lora Lockhart, then crossed the plate as senior Lindsay Birchfield grounded out to short. Back-to-back doubles by sophomore Mannie DeCastro and senior Jessica Jones gave the Gorillas a 2-0 lead.
Bemidji State did not get its first hit until the top of the fourth inning. Kaitlin Hill led off the inning with a base hit to shallow center. Stephanie Rossman added a one out base hit and a Slayden walk to Crystal Bowen loaded the bases. A two-out RBI base hit by Chelsea Cardinal made the score 2-1 in favor of the Gorillas.
Jones gave Pitt State a two-run lead again with a lead off home run in the bottom of the fourth.
Pitt State got another lead off home run in the bottom of the fourth, this time from Birchfield. A Jones one-out line drive up the middle forced a Bemidji State pitching change, with Cardinal coming in to replace starter Courtney Anderson. Cardinal worked for the out on the next two Gorilla batters to end the inning.
Slayden earned the win to improve her record to 5-3. She struck out 11 and gave up only one walk and five hits in the complete game effort. Anderson took the loss for Bemidji to move to 0-4 on the season. She struck out four and gave up seven hits. She was responsible for all four of the Gorilla runs.
Momentum swung in Bemidji's favor to start game two. Hill led off the game with a base hit. She advanced to second on a Jamie Ford sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch. A Rossman double to left center brought home Hill for a 1-0 lead. A two-out Cardinal home run to center put the Beavers up 3-0.
Four Beaver errors in the bottom of the sixth, helped the Gorillas to six runs and the lead. Birchfield and DeCastro led off the inning with back-to-back base hits. Kelsey Loncarich entered the game to pinch run for Birchfield. Jones reached, moved all the way to third and Loncarich and DeCastro scored on an error by the Beaver pitcher. Another Bemidji error, this time by the third baseman, found Erin DeStefano safe at second and allowed Jones to score and tie the game at 3-3. Haley Deaton knocked a base hit up the middle. Kreslee Ketcham followed with a double to score DeStefano for the 4-3 Pitt State lead. With one out, Martin ripped a two-RBI base hit up the middle for the 6-3 lead.
Hilary Erbert earned the win in the circle for PSU to move to 2-1 on the season. She struck out three and walked one. Kelsey Saralampi took the loss for Bemidji she struck out two and gave up five of the six runs. Cardinal finished the game, giving up the final run and walking one batter.
The Gorillas host Bemidji State, Oklahoma City University, Missouri Southern and Missouri-St. Louis in the Pitt State Invitational on Friday and Saturday. Pitt State and Missouri Southern open the tournament with a 4 p.m. game at the PSU Softball Complex. Click here for the complete tournament schedule and results as the games are played.
