ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The Pittsburg State softball team avenged last week's loss to Upper Iowa with a 4-3 win over the Peacocks on Friday (Feb. 19) in the Winona State Dome Tournament in Rochester, Minn. The team then lost its second game of the day, 6-2, to host Winona State in the late game.
Pitt State scord its four runs off eight hits against Upper Iowa. Sierra Hall and Kylie Guthier each went 2-for-3 in the game. Upper Iowa scored its three runs off four hits and a Gorilla error.
The Gorillas started the scoring right away in the bottom of the first. With one outs, Hall got the first hit of the day, a base hit to third. Following a second out, Nicole Nease hit a two-run home run.
Neither team scored again until the fourth inning, when another two-out homer, this one by Guthier, put the Gorillas up 3-0.
Upper Iowa tied the game in the following half inning on three hits, a walk and a Pitt State error.
Pitt State put down the Peacocks in order in both the sixth and the seventh, while getting base runners on themselves in both the bottom of the fifth and the sixth, but were not able to plate a run, so the game would remain knotted at 3-3 until the bottom of the seventh.
Jenna Bolton started the Gorilla half of the seventh with a big double to left center. Andie Cumbie entered the game to pinch run for her. With one out, Kris Van Hoosen stepped up and drilled another double down the right field line to score Cumbie for the win.
Emmie Robertson struck out 11 in the win to improve to 6-1 on the season.
Errors hurt the Gorillas against Winona State. The Gorillas scored two runs on four hits and an error, while the Warriors captialized on five hits and three Gorilla errors for their six runs.
Winona got on the board first in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly.
Pitt State quickly answered in the top of the fourth. Hall started the inning with a base hit and was hit home by a Katy Remy two-run home run.
The Warriors used two Pitt State errors and a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
Neither team scored in the fifth, but Winona State opened the game up in the bottom of the sixth. Three hits and the third Gorilla error of the game sealed the 6-2 loss.
Morgan Myers took the loss for Pitt State. She struck out three and walked four. Only five of the runs she gave up were earned.
Pitt State will have another chance at Winona State on Saturday (Feb. 20) at 1 p.m., following a 9 a.m. game with Northern State.
