BRADFORD, PA – A late game rally against the AMCC's top-ranked team came up just short as La Roche Softball (6-22, 3-11) fell in a 2-game series to Pitt-Bradford (18-10, 13-3), 7-2, 4-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Both teams fought through five innings of scoreless softball before Pitt-Bradford scored 3 runs in the fifth inning and 4 more in the sixth.
The Lady Redhawks answered with 2 runs in the top of the seventh on a pair of singles, but the Panthers were able to hold on for the Game 1 win.
Jodi Walsh registered two hits and a run to pace the Lady Redhawks. Jennifer Lentz had an RBI single and Lea Kronz got on base three times and had an RBI on a fielder's choice. Katlyn Whitmore scored a run in the loss.
Cyana Wulfers did not allow a hit until the third inning and had a shutout before losing it in the fifth. She gave up 4 earned runs in 5.2 innings and Holly Colosimo registered the final out of the ballgame.
Pitt-Bradford held a 1-0 Game 2 advantage heading into the third inning before 2 runs in the top half of the inning gave La Roche the lead.
Kacey Haluska drew a leadoff walk and Kronz followed with an infield single to advance Haluska to second base. Kim McLay laid down a perfect bunt to advance the runners into scoring position before an Alex Spain RBI single and an error on the pitcher gave La Roche a 2-1 advantage.
Pitt-Bradford answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning and added two runs in the bottom of the fifth before three consecutive singles got the Lady Redhawks back in it. Walsh smacked a 2-out hit into left field and Deanna Tritinger singled her into scoring position. Alex Bauer followed with a liner to right center field to score Walsh but a strikeout in the next at bat stranded runners at first and second.
La Roche went down in order in the top of the seventh inning to end it.
Spain went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Kronz reached base twice and scored. Walsh singled and scored and Haluska walked and added a run. Bauer finished with two hits including an RBI single.
Starting pitcher Kaylee Girdwood went all 6 innings and gave up 4 runs on 9 hits while striking out 3 batters.
La Roche Softball returns to the diamond tomorrow when they host Ursuline College. The Lady Redhawks split a double-header with Ursuline last season.