PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Pittsburg State softball team played its way into a runner up regular season MIAA finish with a doubleheader sweep, 3-2 and 5-3, over Central Oklahoma at the PSU Softball Complex on Sunday (April 26) afternoon. The Gorillas were in third place coming into the afternoon. The sweep tied them with the Bronchos with an 18-8 record, but also gave them the tie breaker based on head to head competition. The Gorillas will now face seventh-seeded Washburn at 5 p.m. on Thursday (April 30) in the opening round of the MIAA Tournament at the Blue Valley Sports Complex in Overland Park, Kan.
Freshman pitcher Emmie Robertson pitched two complete games, striking out six batters in each game. In the second inning of game one, she struck out her 202nd batter of the season to set a new school record for single season strikeouts. The previous record of 201 was set by Michelle Martinex in 2002. In the fourth inning of game two, she helped the Gorilla pitching staff to the team season strikeout record with the 283rd of the season for the team. The previous record was 282 (Also in 50 games) by the 2002 squad. Robertson is now 23-8 on the season.
Ashton Pratt led the way for the Gorilla hitters as she was 3-for-4 with a walk and the game-winning RBI in game one. Katy Remy, Nicole Nease and McKenzie Rynard each reached base three times in the game. Remy was 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI. Nease was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Rynard was 1-for-2 with a walk, a hit by pitch and scored the game-winning run.
The game stayed scoreless until the bottom of the fourth. Rynard was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Devon McCreath came in to pinch run for her. With one out, Avery Beard reached on a fielder's choice and an error by the Bronchos left Beard safe at second. A two-out walk to Ashton Pratt loaded the bases. Remy stepped up next and drew a walk on four straight balls for an RBI to score McCreath from third for the 1-0 Gorilla lead.
The Gorillas added another run in the bottom of the sixth. Jordan Bradshaw started the offense with a base hit to right. She moved to second on a wild pitch. Cheslyn Mitchell moved her to third with a two-out base hit. Nicole Nease knocked a hit that hugged the right field foul line to score Bradshaw and put the Gorillas up by two.
Central Oklahoma tied the game with a bases clearing double by Ally Dziadula in the top of the seventh.
Rynard did her job as the designated player in the bottom of the seventh with a soilid lead off base hit. She moved to second on an Alex Perez sacrifice bunt. Avery Beard kept the offense going as she smacked a base hit through the left side. With two outs, Ashton Pratt dropped the game-winning base hit between the center and left fielders to score Rynard for the 3-2 win.
The Bronchos got off to an early start in game one, as a double and a Gorilla error allowed a run to score in the second. A two-run home run made the score 3-0 in favor of the visiting team in the top of the third.
Pitt State recovered quickly in the bottom of the third. Bradshaw led off the inning with an infield base hit. Darion Jaso came in the game to pinch run for her. Katy Remy added a one-out base hit to center. After the second out, two back-to-back errors by the Central Oklahoma third baseman brought the Gorillas within one, 3-2. McKenzie Rynard smacked a double to left center to bring home the third run of the inning and tie the game.
Kylie Guthier got the game-winning hit in the fifth as she hit a towering two-run home run out in left center for the 5-3 win.
