PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Pittsburg State played two games completely opposite of each other with very different endings in a split with Northwest Missouri on Friday (April 10) at the PSU Softball Complex. The Gorillas won game one, 8-7, in eight innings, before falling 11-1 in six innings.
Pitt State tallied eight runs on 16 hits and a Bearcat error in the first game, while Northwest scored seven runs on eight hits and three Pitt State errors. In game two, the Gorillas scored one run on only one hit and one Northwest error, while the Bearcats put up 11 runs on 11 hits and four errors.
Ashton Pratt and Katy Remy led off game one with bak-to-back base hits. Nease brought them both home with a three-run home run.
Pitt State held on to the three-run lead until the top of the third when Northwest Missouri scored one run on two hits.
A six run fifth put the visiting team up 7-3. The Bearcats scored their six runs on four hits and two errors, including two home runs.
The Gorillas didn't lay down and narrowed the lead to 7-4 right away in the bottom of the same inning. Nease knocked a base hit to right center with one out. Back-to-back base hits by Kylie Guthier Alex Perez brought home Nease.
The Gorilla defense put the Bearcats down in order in the top of the sixth, setting the pace for the offense. Jordan Bradshaw started a Gorilla rally with her one out double to right center. With two outs, Remy legged out a triple, scoring Bradshaw and putting the Gorillas down by only two with the hot-hitting Nease up. Nease hit her second home run of the game, and 11th of the season, to tie the game 7-7.
Northwest Missouri got a runner on in the top of the seventh and was able to move her to third, but couldn't score her. The Gorillas went down in order to send the game into extra innings.
The top of the eighth was the Bearcats time to go down in order, including two strikeouts. It looked like the game would go into the ninth, as the Gorillas had two outs with no one on before Pratt drove a base hit down the left field line. Remy drew the first walk of the game by either team to continue the two-out rally. Then it was Nease with the heroics once again. She knocked a base hit into left center to score Pratt and end the game with a 8-7 win.
Emmie Robertson earned the win in the circle. Only one of the seven runs was earned. She struck out seven and walked none. Northwest Missouri used three pitchers in the game, but the loss went to the final pitcher, Abbbie Vitosh.
Pitt State's one run came in the top of the first. Pratt drove a base hit down the left field line and advanced to second on a throwing error by Northwest Missouri. She moved to third on a Remy fly out to center and scored on a Nease sacrifice fly. After that inning, the Gorillas got only one more runner on base and she was caught stealing third. The team struck out seven times.
The Bearcats scored in every inning except the second. They put up two runs in the first, three in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth for the final 11-1 score.
This time it was the Gorillas that used three pitchers in the game, but the loss went to starting pitcher Lynsey Conner. She is 2-2 on the season.
Pitt State will have the opportunity to bounce back on Saturday with a doubleheader against Missouri Western and 2 and 4 p.m. It is Family Day for Pitt State Athletics. There will be inflatables, face painting and sand volleyball at the Bicknell Sports Complex, as well as a $5 concessions special at all PSU athletics venues.
