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Minnesota State Box | Northern State Box | Season Stats (html)

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The Pittsburg State softball team split games at the Missouri Western Invitational on Saturday (March 22). The Gorillas lost to Minnesota State, 16-6, but then defeated Northern State, 11-2 in five innings.

The Mavericks scored 16 runs on 16 hits and three errors. Pitt State scored six runs on 10 hits and two errors.

Kylie Harpst pitched the first two innings in the loss to move her record to 3-2. Only one of the three runs she gave up was earned. Haleigh Sills pitched the remaining five innings giving up 13 runs, only six of which were earned.

Jordan Bradshaw and McKenzie Rynard were each 2-for-3 with a run scored. Bradshaw had one RBI, while Rynard had two. Brenna George also had two hits in a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored.

The Gorillas trailed 7-0 before the team scored two runs in the bottom of the third. George led off the inning with a base hit. Two outs later, Rynard hit a two-run home run.

The Mavericks scored two more runs in the top of the fourth to go up 9-2, but the Gorillas added another run in the bottom of the inning. Alex Perez led off the inning with a double, two outs later an RBI base hit by Bradshaw scored another Gorilla run.

Pitt State closed the gap further in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, three consecutive base hits, capped by an RBI base hit by Bailey Letts to score Bradshaw. An error in the outfield on Tiffany Brown's at bat scored two more runs, making the score 9-6.

That would be the closest the Gorillas would get, as Minnesota State put up seven runs on five hits and one error.

The second game went much better for the Gorillas. The team scored 11 runs on 16 hits with one error, while only allwing their opponents two runs on seven hits and an error.

Letts had a perfect outing, going 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Tiffany Brown and Rynard each were 3-for-4. Brown scored three runs and had four RBI. Rynard recorded three RBI and scored a run. Jordan Bradshaw and Nicole Nease each also had two hits and scored a run. Nease added an RBI.

Pitt State opened the scoring with a three-run home run by Tiffany Brown.

The Gorillas added four more runs in the second. Bradshawled off with a base hit. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by George and scored on a base hit to right center by Letts. Brown added a base hit through the left side before Rynard cleared the bases with another three-run home run.

Four base hits led to another RBI base hit by Letts and an 8-0 Pitt State lead.

Northern State scored its only two runs in the top of the third.

Nease added another run with a leadoff home run in the fourth.

Another home run, the second of the game by Brown, scored the final two runs for the Gorillas in the fifth.

Sam Grove earned the win in the circle. She struck out six and walked only two.

Pitt State will take on Augustana at 9 a.m. and St. Cloud State at 11 a.m. to cap the tournament on Sunday.