PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Pitt State softball team split 11-3, 6-inning decisions with No. 12 Arkansas Tech on Tuesday (March 10) at the PSU Softball Complex. Arkansas Tech won the first game, but the Gorillas came back to win game two by the same score.
In game one, the Golden Suns scored 11 runs off nine hits and five Gorilla errors. The Gorillas scored their three runs off five hits.
Zoe Price started the game and took the loss in the circle, her first of the year. She gave up nine runs, but only two were earned. She threw 4.1 innings before being relieved by Lynsey Conner. Conner threw the final 1.2 innings and gave up two runs on a hit and three walks.
Pitt State scored first in the first game. Cheslyn Mitchell was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a ground out before scoring on a Kylie Guthier double.
Alex Perez led off the second with a base hit. Two batters later Jordan Bradshaw knocked a home run out in right center to put the Gorillas up 3-0.
The lead was short lived though as Arkansas Tech scored three runs on three hits and two errors in the top of the third.
The Gorillas had a chance to go ahead in the bottom of the fourth, but left the bases loaded. That would prove costly in the top of the fifth as the Golden Suns plated six runs on three hits and two more Gorilla errors. Each of the three hits were home runs. Conner came in to replace Price after the third home run with one out. She sat down the next two batters to end the inning.
Arkansas Tech got its final two runs as three consecutive walks loaded the bases and a deep single brought home the two runs to end the game by the eight-run rule.
The second game was a totally different story for both the Gorilla offense and defense. Pitt State scored its 11 runs off 13 hits, while the defense had no errors. Arkansas Tech scored three runs off only four hits.
Emmie Robertson earned the win in the circle. She pitched the complete game and struck out four batters, while walking two.
The Golden Suns struck first in game two with two runs on two hits, including a home run by Courtney Colunga.
Pitt State got one run back in the bottom of the second with a two-out, solo home run by Perez.
Neither team scored un the third, fourth or fifth. A two-out walk and a double in the top of the sixth gave Arkansas Tech a 3-1 lead.
The Gorillas broke the game wide open, then ended it in the bottom of the sixth. Guthier drew a lead off walk. Nicole Nease dropped a base hit in left field. Perez added another walk to load the bases from Devon McCreath. McCreath laced a hit through the left side to score Guthier, but the bases were still loaded. Arkansas Tech made a pitching change just before Bradshaw stepped up to the plate. Bradshaw was not at all intimidated by the change as she hit her second home run of the day, a grand slam to put the Gorillas up 6-3.
Lawren McKinney stepped up to the plate and hit the ball deep in the left side of the infield and dove into third to ensure she was safe. She again beat out a throw on an attempted double play on the next batter, then stole third to put herself in scoring position for McKenzie Rynard who earned the RBI with a base hit to left center. Guthier grabbed a double in her second at bat of the inning, forcing yet another Golden Sun pitching change. She moved to third on a wild pitch and Nease walked to put runners on first and third. Alex Perez used one swing to end the game, as she hit her second home run of the game over the left field fence for the 11-3 win by the eight-run rule.
Pitt State will return to MIAA play over the weekend as the team travels to play Nebraska-Kearney on Friday and Fort Hays State on Saturday.
