Softball | 4/23/2017 7:30:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PITTSBURG – The Pitt State softball team earned only its fourth 40-win season in school history and the first since 2004 with a doubleheader sweep of Northeastern State on Sunday (April 23). The Gorillas won game one, 8-0, in six innings and game two, 12-1, in five innings. The team is now 41-13 overall and 18-6 in MIAA play.

The long ball for the Gorilla offense and strikeouts for the Gorilla defense proved to be the perfect combination in game one.

Jenna Bolton led off the third with a base hit. Two outs later she came home on a Kala Holder home run for a 2-0 Pitt State lead.

Myka Hayward started the fourth with a double to the centerfield warning track. She came home on Lawren McKinney's base hit to right. The Gorilla lead was extended to 5-0 when Kris Van Hoosen hit a two-run home run to left center.

Holder added a solo home run with one out in the fifth for the six run Pitt State lead.

The final two runs came in the Gorilla half of the sixth. With two outs, Pitt State loaded the bases as Bolton walked, Kaity Kukowski reached on an error and Shelby Miller was hit by a pitch. Holder picked up her fourth RBI of the day as she drew the bases loaded walk to score Bolton. Nicole Nease then hit a walk off base hit down the left line for the 8-0 win.

Pitcher Emmie Robertson struck out 14 batters and allowed only one hit in the game. She is now 28-5 on  the season.

In game two the Gorilla bats were hot from the beginning and the offense also capitalized on four Northeastern State errors.

Game two started with Kukowski reaching on a RiverHawk error in the first. Miller battled to a full count before driving a base hit through the right side. Holder then hit a double off the wall to score Kukowski. Nease drew a walk to load the bases for Hayward. Hayward earned two RBI with a base hit up the middle for a 3-0 Gorilla lead.

Hayward's hit forced a pitching change, as the RiverHawks brought in Sylver Collins to replace Jennifer Wolf, who also started and took the loss in game one.

The inning continued as Kris Van Hoosen knocked a one-out base hit to right center, scoring Nease and giving the Gorillas a four-run lead. Kaity Kukowski and Shelby Miller each hit two-run singles to double the Pitt State lead to 8-0.

The Gorillas added three more runs in the second on a three-run home run by Bolton.

In the Pitt State half of the third, Kala Holder took off from third after a Nease fly out to left and an overthrow allowed her to score, giving the Gorillas a 12-0 lead.

The RiverHawks' only run of the game came on a solo home run by Kaleigh Hinkle in the top of the fifth.

Emmie Robertson pitched the first two innings before being replace by Brittany Beaudet to start the third. Beaudet pitched the third and fourth to earn the win and improve to 3-2 on the season.

Pitt State will play its final regular season games on Monday (April 24) at 2 and 4 p.m. against Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos currently lead the MIAA with a 20-4 conference record. The Gorillas are just behind them at 18-6.