EMPORIA, Kan. -- The Pitt State softball team split games of a doubleheader with Emporia State on Friday (March 10) afternoon. The Gorillas took game one, 4-3, but fell, 5-3, in game two.
Pitt State was helped to its game one win by nine hits and two Hornet errors. Four of Pitt State's nine hits were doubles. The Hornets scored their three runs on six hits. Kristen VanHoosen led the Gorillas with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate. She scored one run and recorded one RBI. Shelby Miller went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Emmie Robertson pitched the complete game to earn the win. All three runs she gave up were earned. She struck out three batters and walked three.
Pitt State scored right away in the top of the first inning. With one out, Miller got her first hit of the day, a base hit through the right side. Nicole Nease reached on a fielder's choice, but an error left Miller safe at third. An error by the Hornet right fielder left Kylie Guthier safe at first and allowed Miller to score. Kayla Holder was hit by a pitcher to load the bases. Lawren McKinney knocked a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Nease for a 2-0 lead.
A lead off home run by Emporia State's Caitlin Van Vleck in the bottom of the first made the score 2-1.
Pitt State scored one run each in the second and third innings. In the second, Van Hoosen led off with a base hit and scored on Kaity Kukowski's double to left. In the third, Katy Remy hit a one-out double to right center and scored on Van Hoosen's double.
Pitt State's scoring stalled after the third. Emporia State started to come back. First, using two hits and a walk to add one run in the sixth. In the seventh, a hit batter with the bases loaded brought in a run to make the score 4-3 with two outs in the inning. The Gorilla defense retired the final batter to end the game with a win.
The Hornets kept their momentum going in game two. They scored five runs on eight hits and five Gorilla errors. Pitt State scored three runs on seven hits and two Emporia State errors. Seven different players had hits for Pitt State.
Nease scored the first run of the game as she crossed the plate on Kylie Guthier's double to left center.
Emporia took advantage of four hits and two errors in the bottom of the first to take an early 4-1 lead.
The Gorillas again added runs in the second and third innings. In the second, Jenna Bolton walked, then a Remy hit to right, paired with a error allowed her to score. In the third, Shelby Miller reached on an error, then scored on a Lawren McKinney base hit.
Emporia State's final run scored in the seventh using a hit, a walk, a stolen base and a passed ball.
Bree Cornett took the loss, throwing 5.1 innings.
Pitt State will continue conference play on Tuesday, as the team returns home to take on Central Missouri at 3 and 5 p.m.
