OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Pittsburg State softball team (35-17) has reached the second day of the MIAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years. The Gorillas earned a 3-1 win over Washburn in the first game and went on to defeat Emporia State, 2-0, in the second round.

Pitt State, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will take on top seeded Central Missouri at 3 p.m. on Saturday (May 1).
2005 was the last time the Gorilla program had a win in the tournament. That year, the Gorillas beat Central Missouri in the first round, 1-0, before losing to Truman, 12-3. Pitt State came back to win one-run games over Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western before being eliminated by Truman.

Pitt state opened the 2015 tournament against Washburn. The game was knotted at 0-0 through three and a half innings, but Katy Remy started the Gorillas with a base hit in the bottom of the fourth on the way to breaking that tie. Remy's hit was the first of the game for the Gorillas and was followed by a Cheslyn Mitchell walk. Nicole Nease reached on an error by the Ichabod's second baseman to load the bases. Kylie Guthier earned the first RBI of the game with a base hit to right to score Remy. With one out, Alex Perez added a sacrifice fly to score Mitchell for the 2-0 lead.

Jordan Bradshaw tacked on another big run for the Gorillas with a huge leadoff home run to left center in the fifth.
Washburn's one run came on a Cassidy Merriman home run in the top of the sixth.

In game two, the Gorillas tallied five hits and pitcher Emmie Robertson struck out 11 Hornet batters to win 2-0 over Emporia State.

Pitt State put up its first run in the top of the third. Bradshaw led off the inning with a walk. She moved to second on an Ashton Pratt sacrifice. Back-to-back hits by Remy and Mitchell loaded the bases. A fielder's choice play gave the Lady Hornets two outs, as the threw out Bradshaw at home, but still left the bases loaded with Gorillas. Guthier drew a bases loaded walk to bring home Remy and give the Gorillas a one-run lead.

The only additional run came on a Guthier home run with one out in the top of the sixth.

Pitcher Emmie Robertson earned two complete game wins on the day. Against Washburn, she gave up one run on five hits. She struck out five batters and walked two. Against the Lady Hornets, Robertson gave up only four hits as she threw her seventh shutout of the season. She struck out 11 batters and walked three. She now holds a 25-8 record on the season.