OKLAHOMA CITY – The Pittsburg State softball team (39-18) won games over Central Missouri, 9-4, and Southwest Baptist, 2-0, to advance to the semifinal round of the MIAA Softball Tournament at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

The Gorillas will take on Central Oklahoma at 10 a.m. Saturday (April 30) to determine who will earn the right to face top-seeded Missouri Western in the championship game at noon. Whichever team wins, they will have to beat Missouri Western twice to win the tournament title.

Against Central Missouri, Pitt State started scoring with two outs in the top of the first. Ashton Pratt and Katy Remy were on first and third when Kylie Guthier reached on an error and both base runners scored for a 2-0 lead. Myka Hayward doubled to right center to score Guthier. Jenna Boltons added a base hit to center to move Hayward to third. Catie Cummins drove a triple to right to clear the bases for a 5-0 lead. After a pitching change, Tiara Ewy added an RBI base hit to score Cummins for the final run of the inning.

The Gorillas added another run in the top of the second. Sierra Hall drew a lead off walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. She moved to third on a Remy ground out and scored on a Nease base hit.

A two-run home run by Allie Dishinger in the bottom of the second narrowed the Pitt State lead to 7-2.

The lead was furthered narrowed with two more Central Missouri runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Nease added another RBI base hit to score Hall in the top of the sixth, giving the Gorillas an 8-4 lead.

The final Pitt State run came in the top of the seventh. Cummins started the inning with a walk. She advanced to second on an Ewy ground out and to third on a throwing error. A Hall base hit brought Cummins home for the 9-4 win.

Emmie Robertson struck out two and walked two in the complete game win.

Pitt State outhit Southwest Baptist 6-2 in the second game of the day. Robertson struck out eight batters and walked only one. The Pitt State offense recorded only two strikeouts.

Ashton Pratt led off the bottom of the first on a throwing error. She moved to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Nicole Nease knocked a stand up triple to right center to score Pratt for the 1-0 lead.

The Gorillas scored their second run of the game in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Guthier and Hayward.