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SAINT LEO, Fla. -- The Pittsburg State softball team split games on the first day of the Saint Leo Tournament, earning a 11-3 win over Northwood (Fla.) in the season opener before falling to the host school 6-5 in the night cap.

Five Gorillas had two or more hits in the game against Northwood. Sophomore Cheslyn Mitchell led the Gorilla offense with a 4-for-4 performance with two doubles and two RBI. Freshman Jordan Bradshaw was 3-for-4 with three RBI, a doube, a home run and two runs scored. Senior Katelyn Birchfield went 2-for-3 three runs scored. Junior Brenna George and sophomore Devon McCreath were each 2-for-4. George had an RBI and two runs scored McCreath had one RBI and one run scored.

Freshman Haleigh Sills started the game and pitched the first four innings to earn the win in her first collegiate outing. She gave up only two hits and three runs, only one of which was earned. She walked five batters and struck out four. Freshman Kylie Harpst finished the game, throwing the final two innings in which she gave up no hits or runs and struck out three batters.

Northwood scored first in the top of the second, but Pitt State answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs. Birchfield led off the inning with a base hit. She stole second and and scored on a double by Jordan Bradshaw. Bradshaw moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a Riley Campbell base hit up the middle for the 2-1 lead.

The Seahawks went up 3-2 with two runs in the top of the third. Again, Pitt State had an answer, this time with five runs. Senior Kreslee Ketcham and Birchfield started the third with back-to-back base hits. Senior Kayla Sears picked up three RBI with a three-run home run, putting Pitt State up 5-3. Bradshaw followed Sears' home run with one of her own. After two outs, George got the Gorillas started again with a base hit. Mitchell followed with a double to score the final run of the innings and put the Gorillas up 7-3.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning, but the Gorillas added two more in the fifth. Three consecutive base hits by McCreath, George and Mitchell scored the runs to put Pitt State up 9-3. 

Birchfield led off the Gorilla half of the sixth with a walk. Sears reached on a fielder's choice that left Birchfield safe at second. A base hit by Bradshaw scored Birchfield. With one out, a sacrifice fly by McCreath scored Bradshaw for the final run of the game.

Against Saint Leo, it was junior Tiffany Brown's turn for a perfect hitting outing. She was 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a home run and one RBI. Sears was 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI.

Pitt State scored first in the top of the second. With one out, Sears was hit by a pitch. Back-to-back two out doubles by Campbell and McCreath brought home two runs to put the Gorillas up 2-0. 

The Lions narrowed the PSU lead with one run in the bottom of the second, but the top of the third saw Pitt State stretch the lead back to two runs as Mitchell scored on a Sears RBI base hit.

Brown hit her home run to lead off the top of the fifth. A grand slam by the Lions Sarah Steiner gave the home team their first lead of the game, 5-4. 

Neither team scored in the sixth inning. The Gorillas were able to tie the game in the top of the seventh as Brown scored on an error by the Lions catcher. 

Pitt State had to just get through the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings, but two walks, a hit batter and a base hit scored a run for Saint Leo and ended the game with the 6-5 Gorilla loss.

Kyndel Shelburn started the game in the circle for the Gorillas. She threw five innings before being replaced by Samantha Grove. Grove took the loss in her first appearance in almost two years. Alana Tabel earned the win for Saint Leo to improve to 5-3 on the season.

Pitt State continues Saint Leo Tournament play on Sunday with Tarleton State at 2:45 p.m. and Tampa at 5 p.m.