PITTSBURG, Kansas - The Winona State University softball team drops a pair to No.13 Pittsburg State on their first day of competition at Pittsburg State University on Friday, March 15, finding themselves a run short in two extra inning games.
In game one, WSU took PSU to eight innings after a pitchers duel from both teams with the Warriors bats heating up in the top of the seventh taking the game into extra innings. Unfortunately, WSU was unable to out hit the Gorillas in the eighth inning.
In game two, the Warriors kept the bats hot scoring three runs in the first two innings, which allowed them to take the early lead. Pittsburg State answered back in the bottom of the third with three runs and both teams then crossing the plate in the fifth inning to keep it deadlocked. Both the Warriors and the Gorillas went scoreless through seven to take game two into extra innings for a second time. Again PSU took game two in the bottom of the eighth answering with two runs after WSU scored one.
Pittsburg State 5, Winona State 4
PSU started the game with a run in the first and then followed that with a run in the third after a pair of errors by the Warriors to take the 2-0 lead against Winona State.
A double by
Abbie Hlas and another double by
Sam Keller broke the scoreless game for the Warriors in the top of the seventh inning allowing pinch runner,
Tiegan Mancuso, to score for Winona State.
Kiley Slaats then singled to left field allowing Keller to score the tying run and taking the game into extra innings after PSU was unable to score in the bottom of the seventh.
With international tie breaking rules,
Logan Anderson was placed at second and
Ashlee Chantos, advancing Anderson to third. Anderson then scores on a fielder choice to Pittsburg's shortstop hit by
Savannah Serdynski, who was safe. Hlas then came to the plate and hit a single to third, putting Serdynski at second and Hlas at first. Keller came up and singled to the third base side with all three player safe. Slaats then hit a sacrifice fly to center field scoring Serdynski. The Warriors end the eighth inning with a 4-2 lead.
PSU closed out the eighth inning with two hits to drive in the first run in the bottom of the eighth. After another hit and an error made by WSU, the Gorillas added their second run of the inning. Pittsburg plated their third and final run after Maddie Fernandez was walked and Courtney Storey was hit by a pitch.
Pittsburg State 6, Winona State 5
Winona State kept their bats hot going into game two scoring their first run right away in the first. Keller reaching on with a single up the right side and
Carly Engelhardt hitting a double to left center to score Keller. The Warriors defense was able to shut down PSU with a double play hit to WSU shortstop Hlas.
Going into the second inning, WSU chipped away with
Kaylie Scanlon reaching on due to an error by the PSU firstbasemen. A single by Serdynski and hard hit ball causing an error by Hlas allowed for Scanlon to score. Keller followed up with a single down the left side to score Serdynski allowed the Warriors to take a 3-0 lead.
Abby Smith kept the Gorillas to a one hit game through the second inning not allowing PSU to score through two.
Pittsburg State answered back in the bottom of the third with two doubles and a single to tie the game up at three runs a piece.
The Warriors answered back in the fourth with a double by Scanlon who later advanced on a bunt by Chantos and scored off a fly out by Serdynski. PSU then responded with plating a run after a Sophia Driver singled up the middle, a wild pitch and double by Kadyn Trochim scoring Driver. WSU and PSU deadlocked at four runs going into the fifth.
The fifth through the seventh inning turned into a pitching duel between WSU's
Jayda Berg and PSU's Bree Sexton and Chelsea Beville taking game two into extra innings.
Going into the eighth and having the international tiebreaking rules in affect, Alyssa Wolfel was placed at second to run for the Warriors. Scanlon advanced Wolfel to third on a Sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher. Chantos came up to the plate laying down a bunt to score Wolfel as well as being called safe at first. WSU takes the lead with a 5-4 lead going into the bottom of the eighth.
PSU, in similar fashion, laid down a sacrifice bunt causing an error by the Warrior defense putting runners at first and third. Storey then singles to first on a fielders choice with the runner thrown out at home by Engelhardt leaving runners on first and second for Pittsburg. The Gorillas then follow up with two singles to score to end the game. WSU falling in their second extra inning game of the day.
With the doubleheader loss against Pittsburg State, Winona State moves to 16-6 on the year. The Warriors will be off on Saturday, March 16 in Joplin, Mo. facing off against Missouri Southern State. The Lions and Warriors will start at 2 p.m. at Pat Lipira Softball Complex. The Warriors will round out their weekend with a matchup against No. 11 University of Central Oklahoma on Sunday, March 17 back at Pittsburg State University with first pitch set for 9:30 a.m.
