PITTSBURG - The 10th ranked Pittsburg State University softball team swept Missouri Southern State University (8-1, 12-4 in 5 Inn.) in a conference doubleheader against the Lions at the PSU Softball Complex on Saturday (Apr. 6).
Pittsburg State (38-4, 12-2 MIAA) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning of game one and never looked back en route to the 8-1 win to begin the twin bill. Hannah Burnett (Independence, Kan.) finished the game going 2-of-4 with three runs, three RBI and her fifth home run of the season finishing off the scoring for the Gorillas. Kadyn Trochim (Waco, Texas) went 2-of-3 from the plate with two RBI and one run scored, hitting her first home run of the season with a no-doubter in the third inning over the left field trees. Ava Laurent (Grand Island, Neb.) picked up her 13th win of the season going the distance in the circle and striking out eight.
The Lions (29-12, 9-5 MIAA) scored first in the second game but the lead was short-lived with a three run bottom half of the inning helping to lead the way to a 12-4 run rule five inning victory for the Gorillas. Trochim finished 2-of-2 from the plate for five RBI and two runs scored hitting her second home run in as many games. Paxtyn Hayes (Greenwood, Ark.) hit her 10th home run of the season while going 3-of-4 from the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Gabby Schultz (Gardner, Kan.) finished 2-of-3 with her first home run of the season while picking up two RBI. Kiana Pogroszewski (Ephraim, Utah) picked up her 12th win of the season with a five inning complete game, striking out five and issuing one walk.
Next for Pittsburg State will be a road trip to face off against Washburn (Apr. 12) and Emporia State (Apr. 13) next weekend.
Notes:
With the 38th win of the season and 20th at home this year the Gorillas have moved into sixth all-time for season wins in program history and clinched a 20 win season at home for the fifth time ever, the first since 2005. The 21 game home winning streak stretching back to last season is a program record besting the 17 game winning streak from Apr. 17, 2004-Mar. 19, 2005 and the second longest active streak in Division II behind Grand Valley State's 27 game winning streak at home that began in the 2022 season.
Paxtyn Hayes moved into a tie for the career RBI record with Nicole Nease (2014-17) with 178. Moved past Brenna George (2011-14) for sixth in program history for hits with 215 and eclipsed Taylor Lambert (20121-23) for runs scored with 122 to sit 10th in program career history. In single-season history, Hayes is now tied with Tiffany Brown (2012) and Kylie Guthier (2015) for 10th with 51 RBI on the season. Hayes is also now the fifth Gorilla in program history to hit 10 or more home runs in three straight seasons (2022-24), joining Amanda DeCastro (2010-12), Kala Holder (2017-19), Nicole Nease (2014-17) and Tiffany Brown (2012-14).
Heather Arnett progressed from being tied for eighth in season hits to tying for the fifth most hits in a season with 76, the same as Chandra Kelly (1994) finished with. Arnett also moved into fourth for single-season runs scored with 56 this season to pass Lisa Hill (1994).
Hannah Burnett moved into a tie for seventh for season runs scored with Taylor Lambert (2022) with 52 runs scored so far.
