PITTSBURG - The Pittsburg State Univeristy softball team picked up their six sweep in conference action and secured the 10th win in a row on Tuesday (Apr. 8) at the Pittsburg State Softball Field, beating Missouri Western State University, 2-0 and 5-4.

This season the Gorillas now 31-9 overall, 12-2 in the MIAA are 16-0 at home and currently on a 41-game winning streak in regular season action at the Pittsburg State Softball Field dating back to the 2023 season.

In game one, Ava Laurent (13-4) pitched a two-hit complete game shutout with nine strikeouts to win the pitchers duel against Sydney Rader (15-8) who finished with five hits and five strikeouts in the complete game loss. Courtney Storey singled home Heather Arnett to break the deadlock in the third inning before an Emily Ades double off the wall in left center scored Kyleigh Lamont to provide the final 2-0 scoreline.

Game two featured a pair of home runs by each team with Missouri Western (21-18, 8-10 MIAA) hitting a solo home run in the second and a three-run blast in the fifth to create a 4-0 lead. Ades got the scoring started for Pitt State in the bottom half of the fifth with her second home run of the season down the left field line before a two-run no-doubter from Storey cut the lead to one (4-3). 

Chelsea Beville (2-1) pitched Pittsburg State out of a bases load no-out jam in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh to set up the potential game winning bottom half of the final frame. A lead off ground out induced by Rader was followed by a full count walk and back-to-back infield singles to load the bases. Rader got the second out with a full count strikeout but a fielders choice up the middle allowed Sophia Driver and Storey to score and complete the late inning comeback.

Up next for Pittsburg State will be a conference road weekend beginning on Friday (Apr. 11) at Noon from the RiverHawks Park in Tahlequah, Okla., against Northeastern State.

Notes: Heather Arnett is now tied for second in program ranks for career hits with Amanda DeCastro (2009-12) with 239, passing former teammate Paxtyn Hayes (2021-24) in the first game against Missouri Western today. The Pittsburg, Kan., native with 110 stolen bases in her career is now eighth among MIAA ranks for stolen bases, passing Abby Hughes (Emporia State, 2009-11) and Abi Corbett (Missouri Souther, 2015-18). 

Ava Laurent for her career has 312 strikeouts to rank sixth in career ranks at PSU, passing Renee Dunlap (1992-95) on Monday against Northwest Missouri.