TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Pittsburg State softball team improved to 16-6 on the season with a doubleheader sweep at Washburn in the first day of conference play for the Gorillas. The Gorillas won game one 11-1 before taking game two 8-5.
In the first game, Pitt State scored 11 runs on nine hits and three Ichabod errors. Five of the nine Gorilla hits were for extra bases. Washburn scored its one run on five hits and one Gorilla error.
Eleven different Pitt State players made plate appearances with seven getting hits. Katy Remy and Kristen VanHoosen each had two hits. Nicole Nease and Lawren McKinney each earned two RBI, while Myka Hayward led the team with three RBI.
Emmie Robertson earned the win in the circle. She threw three innings and gave up two hits. She struck out five batters and did not give up a walk. Bree Cornett and Brittany Beaudet each pitched one inning. Beaudet gave up the only Washburn run of the game, but it was not earned.
Pitt State scored one run in each the second and third innings, each off a solo home run. Kala Holder hit one in the second and VanHoosen hit hers in the third.
The fourth was a huge inning, as the Gorillas exploded for nine more runs. Nease reached on an error to lead off the inning. Kylie Guthier drew a walk. Holder reached on a fielder's choice, but everyone was safe due to another Washburn error. A McKinney base hit, along with the third Ichabod error of the inning brought home three runs and left McKinney at third. Jenna Bolton knocked a base hit to left to bring home McKinney. Remy kept the rally going with another base hit to left.
Washburn made several defensive changes, including bringing in a new pitcher. VanHoosen added yet another base hit to load the bases. With one out, Hayward came in to pinch hit and cleared the bases with her double to left center. Nease scored the final two runs of the inning with a home run to center, putting the Gorillas up 11-0.
Washburn's one run came after a two-out error in the bottom of the fifth, but the Gorillas hung on for the five-inning run-rule victory.
Game two was much closer, but the Gorilla bats stayed hot and efficient. Both teams had some defensive issues though as there were eight errors in the game, four for each team. Pitt State scored eight runs on 11 hits, while the Ichabods scored five runs on 10 hits.
The Gorillas got on the board right away in the top of the first. Kaity Kukowski led off the game with a walk. She moved to second on a Sierra Hall sacrifice and scored on a Nease RBI base hit.
Kukowski led off the third with a solo home run. Sierra Hall tripled to right, but was put out at home as Nease was left safe at first. Kylie Guthier hit a two run home run for a 4-0 Pitt State lead.
Bolton hit the third Gorilla home run of the game with a leadoff bomb to right center in the top of the fourth.
Washburn cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third on three hits and an error. Cornett took over for Pitt State starter Beaudet in the circle with one out in the inning.
The Gorillas got those two runs back in the top of the fifth. Hall started the inning with a base hit and advanced to second on an error. Nease beat out an infield single and Guthier walked to load the bases. Holder reached on a fielder's choice that put Hall out at home, but left the bases loaded. McKinney reached on a fielding error and Nease came home. A second error on the same play allowed Guthier to score and make the score 7-2.
Washburn closed the gap to 7-3 on three hits and an error in the bottom of the fifth.
The next frame saw the Gorillas plate their final run as VanHoosen crossed the plate on a Nease sacrifice fly.
Washburn used a two-run home run to score the final two runs of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Morgan Myers pitched the finale 2.2 innings to earn the win. Only one of the two runs she gave up was earned. She struck out three batters. Cornett gave up one unearned run in one inning and struck out two batters. Beaudet started and pitched the first 3.1 innings. She gave up two runs, walked one and struck out one.
Pitt State continues conference play on Friday against Emporia State in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
