MANSFIELD, Pa. – The IUP softball team extended its winning streak to five games with a doubleheader sweep of Mansfield in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play this afternoon winning by scores of 2-1 and 14-2.
With the sweep, the Crimson Hawks clinched a berth in the 2017 PSAC Softball Championship tournament and improve to 23-16 overall and 12-6 in league play. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers fall to 21-14 overall behind a 9-9 mark in PSAC play.
Game one was a tight affair as the game remained scoreless into the top of the third. That's when IUP struck for the game's first run.
Kaitlyn Beers (Reynoldsville, Pa./DuBois Area High School) led off with an infield single before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from
Lauren Goetz (Cleveland, Ohio/Cuyahoga Heights). Beers then scored on a single from Hanna Mercer. Mansfield tied the game in the bottom half of the third on an error. The game remained 1-1 until the top of the sixth.
Mackenna Miller (Milton, Pa. /Milton) doubled down the left field line. Two batters later Miller scored on a single to center field by
Kassie Kesneck (Houston, Pa./Chartiers-Houston).
Rachael Sterner led off the bottom of the sixth with a double. Crimson Hawks starting pitcher
Lauren Zola (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) then retired the next three batters to end the inning. Deshae Jones doubled to left in the bottom of the seventh but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple. A hit batter and a walk then put the winning run on first before Zola got Laura Lawson to pop out to second to end the game.
Mercer finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Miller was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Zola pitched a complete game tossing 7.0 innings while striking out five and scattering six hits.
IUP jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third. Beers started the scoring with an RBI single to center. Two batters later Beers came around to score on an error after advancing to third on a passed ball. Mercer then singled home Goetz. The Crimson Hawks tacked on another three runs in the fourth when Zola tallied an RBI single. Beers delivered a sac fly and Goetz doubled to left center to bring the lead to 6-0. In the fifth,
Megan Risinger (Creekside, Pa./Marion Center) tallied an RBI single to stretch the lead to 7-0.
The Crimson Hawks took a 10-0 lead in the sixth on a fielder's choice RBI from
Laura Cotter (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) followed by a two-run double by Kesneck. Zola then drove in Cotter with a single to center. Goetz made it 12-0 with an infield shortstop before Mercer doubled in Zola to make it 13-0.
Amanda Parrish (Dysart, Pa./Altoona) ended the scoring with an RBI single to center to take a 14-0 lead. Mansfield added two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Mercer finished 3-for-5 with a double, a run and an RBI. Zola was 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI and a double. Goetz finished 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, a double and a walk. Parrish was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run. Cotter finished 2-for-3 with three runs, an RBI, and a triple. Risinger, who improved to 9-1 on the season, earned the win after pitching 5.0 innings while striking out four. She scattered five hits and did not allow a run.
Up Next
The Crimson Hawks conclude regular season play with a doubleheader at Pitt-Johnstown tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP softball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_Softball.
