Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford was able to battle back from a 1-run deficit late in the nightcap of their AMCC opening doubleheader with Carlow to earn a split with the Celtics. The Panthers lost the opener 6-5, but then took game two 7-4.
Game 1 - Pitt-Bradford 5 - Carlow 6
The first game of the day saw the Pantehrs jump ahead early, but a costly mistake was part of a 5-run 2nd inning which led to a 6-5 loss.
Carlow took the lead in the first with Krislyn Clement in the circle. The first batter reached on a throwing error, and then after a fielder's choice, the Celtics took a 1-0 lead on a double to left center. Clement settled down and struck out the next two batters to end the frame.
Pitt-Bradford struck right back in the bottom of the opening frame, scoring 4 times. With one out, Sara Stroup drew a walk and then moved to third when Lexi Peters doubled to right. Lilly Hamelstied the game with an infield single and then moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Clement helped her own cause, grounding a 2-run double down the left field line. She scored two batters later on an error on a double steal.
In the second, the Celtics put the leadoff runner on and then ran into an out on a bunt single. They loaded the bases on a blooped double and a walk before cutting the lead to one with back-to-back RBI singles. After a single reloaded the bases, Clement induced a high fly ball from the next batter, but the Panthers could not hold on to the fly ball, allowing 3 more runs to score on the error.
The Panthers rallied once again in the 2nd, as a one-out double from Faith McLaughlin was followed by a walk and a double steal. Peters brought in a run with a single to center but the rally came to a quick end as Stroup was caught off third base on a double steal and Hamels grounded out to end the threat.
After the teams combined for 11 runs over the first two innings, both pitchers settled down and kept the offenses off the board for the remainder of the game. The Panther's best chance to score came in the 4th. Lizzy Hoovler led off the inning with a single up the middle, and then quickly stole second base. After the next two Pitt-Bradford batters were retired, Stroup lined a single into center field, but Hoovler was thrown out at the plate trying to score the tying run.
Krislyn Clement (5-1) took the loss in the game. She allowed 6 runs, 2 earned on 13 hits while striking out 7 batters. Offensively, she was 1 for 3 with a run scored, 2 RBI and a double. Lexi Peters was the offensive star of the game for Pitt-Bradford, finishing 4 for 4 with three singles, one double, a run scored and 1 run batted in.
Game 2: Pitt-Bradford 7 - Carlow 4
In game two, the Panthers took the early lead in the 2nd, and then after Carlow took the lead with 4 straight runs, scored twice in the 5th and 6th to secure the victory 7-4.
Bri Heller started the game and quickly worked around leadoff runners in the first two frames to keep the game scoreless. In the bottom of the 2nd, Meghan Kapp led off with a single through the left side. following a strikeout, Ciera Adams dropped a single into right field and Miranda Groll loaded the bases with a bunt single. With two outs in the inning, Faith McLaughlin delivered a double into the gap in right-center, clearing the bases and putting Pitt-Bradford ahead 3-0.
Armed with a 3-0 lead in the third, Heller ran into trouble. After a leadoff single, a fielding error, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. The next batter lined a single to center to bring in one run and a throw to the plate got away from the Panther catcher, allowing a second run to scamper home. Heller settled down, retiring the next two Celtics to end the frame with the Panthers still in the lead.
Pitt-Bradford was retired quietly in the bottom of the 3rd, and then Carlow took advantage of a costly throwing error to jump ahead in the 4th. Heller retired the first two batters of the inning but then allowed back-to-back singles to continue the frame. She induced what seemed to be an inning-ending ground out to the next batter, but the throw to first was low, and Kapp could not dig it out of the dirt, allowing a run to score to tie the game. Another single filled the bases once again and then Carlow took the lead on a wild pitch before Heller could end the frame with a pop-up.
The Panthers rallied in the 5th inning, scoring twice to take the lead. Sara Stroup started the inning with a one-out double to right field. She scored a batter later when Lexi Peters hit a double to deep center. Peters took third on a grounder to the right side and then scored the go-ahead run when Carlow's diving right fielder could not hold on to a bloop single from Meghan Kapp, her third of the game.
Heller posted a shutdown inning in the 6th, working around a one-out single. In the bottom of the inning, Pitt-Bradford rallied with two outs to tack on a pair of insurance runs. Lexi Najdusak lined a single into right and then stole second base. McLaughlin came to the plate next and hit a high fly to left field, clearing the fence for a two-run home run. It was her first fo the year.
In the bottom of the 7th, Heller retired the first batter quickly, but then ran into trouble as the next two Celtics singled, bringing the tying run to the plate. She was able to escape the jam, getting the next batter to ground into a 4-6-3 double play, ending the game.
Bri Heller (4-2) earned the victory after allowing 4 runs, 1 earned on 10 hits in a complete game performance. She struck out 2 batters. Faith McLaughlin had the big hits for Pitt-Bradford, finishing 2 for 4 with 5 RBI. She had a 3-run double and a 2-run home run. Meghan Kapp finished 3 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI, and Sara Stroup also had a multi-hit game, going 2 for 3.
The Panthers record is 12-6 after the split with a 1-1 record in AMCC play. They will be back in action on Tuesday, April 9th, when they take on Alfred State in another AMCC double-dip. The games will begin at 3:00 and will be held at St. Bonaventure's Joyce Field in Allegany.
