PITTSBURG – The Pittsburg State University softball team will travel to Topeka to compete in the Washburn Invitational Friday through Sunday (Feb. 28-Mar. 1). This will mark the fifth consecutive week of tournament action for the Gorillas to start the 2020 campaign.

The action at Topeka includes Friday match-ups against Southwest Minnesota State (11 a.m.) and St. Cloud State, Saturday contests against Missouri-St. Louis (8:30 a.m.) and Minnesota Crookston (1 p.m.) as well as Sunday games against Sioux Falls (9 a.m.) and Rockhurst (3 p.m.)

The Gorillas bring a 5-13 record into the weekend slate. Pitt State will try to ride the momentum from a modest two-game winning streak. The Gorillas closed out the Edmond (Okla.) Regional Festival with a pair of wins last Sunday against Midwestern State (9-6) and Cameron (6-3).

Entering weekend play the Gorillas are batting .239 and scoring 4.3 runs per game. Senior infielder Makenzie Goswick continues to impress:  she leads the team with a .410 batting average and also has posted team highs in hits (25), RBIs (13) and doubles (7). Senior infielder Kaity Kukowski also has enjoyed strong production early in the season. She leads the team with a .585 slugging percentage and also paces the squad in runs scored (15) and home runs (3).

Pitt State's pitching staff carries a 6.84 ERA into weekend play. Kaylee Burnett (2-6, 6.33 ERA) and Madison Morris (2-2, 8.58 ERA) both picked up their second wins on the season last weekend. Morris also recorded her second save.