DURANT -- The Pitt State softball team earned two shutout wins on Saturday (Feb. 4) with a 3-0 win over Southern Nazarene, followed by an 8-0, five-inning win over East Central in the Southeastern Oklahoma Regional Tournament at the Durant Multi-Sports Complex.

Against Southern Nazarene, Pitt State used six hits to plate its three runs. SNU tallied three hits in the game and the Gorillas committed two errors. 

Both teams were scoreless through three innings. Finally in the top of the fourth, Lawren McKinney hit a two-out solo home run to put the Gorillas on the board.

Pitt State scored its final two runs in the top of the fifth. Kaity Kukowski drew a lead off walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. She moved to third on a Katy Remy ground out and scored on a Nicole Nease base hit to left. Kylie Guthier added another base hit to move Nease into scoring position. Kala Holder knocked a big double to left to score Nease for the 3-0 lead. 

Emmie Robertson started the game and pitched the first three innings for the Gorillas. She gave up two hits and struck out four. Bree Cornett relieved Robertson in the bottom of the fourth. She gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one an her way to earning her first collegiate win. 

The Pitt State offense got to work immediately against East Central. Kukowski was hit by a pitch to lead off the Gorilla half of the first. Back-to-back one out walks to Remy and Nease loaded the bases for Guthier. Guthier drove a base hit down the left field line to bring in Nease and Remy for the first two runs of the game.

Tiara Ewy led off for the Gorillas in the second. She reached on an error. With one out, Kukowski hit the first home run of her Pitt State career, a two-run rocket to left center for a 4-0 lead. Remy drew a two-out walk and scored all the way from first on an East Central error.

Ewy was again a catalyst for the Gorillas in the third as she led off with a base hit to right. Kristen Van Hoosen followed with another base hit and Kukowski walked to load the bases. Jenna Bolton was hit by a pitch to bring home a run. Remy reached on an error that allowed Van Hoosen to score and Kukowski scored the final run on a Nease ground out to third. 

Robertson started the game for the Gorillas in the circle and pitched the first three innings to earn the win. She allowed only one hit and struck out five batters. Morgan Myers and Brittany Beaudet each threw one inning. Myers allowed one hit and struck out one. Beaudet did not allow a hit, but gave up one walk. 

Pitt State will finish tournament play tomorrow with Rockhurst at 2:30 p.m., followed by the host Southeastern Oklahoma at 5 p.m. Both games will be streamed live here.