Photo courtesy of Derek Livingston
Curtis Meyer reporter
Pitt State softball saw their 22-game winning streak end this week, but not before sweeping the Northeastern Riverhawks in a double header. Pitt State currently sits at 32-4, good for the best record in Division II NCAA softball at this point in the season.
“We were really competitive, but we didn’t come out on top, but we got to bounce back. We will be alright,” said Senior Paxtyn Hayes.
With the success, the Gorillas sit at 11th overall in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll. Despite this the Gorillas did miss an opportunity to move up, as they fell in two tight contests to #3 Rogers State on Saturday.
The Gorillas began the week riding high after going undefeated in the MIAA NSIC Conference Challenge, going a perfect 6-0 as part of a 20-game winning streak. The good times would continue for Pitt State, as they swept the Riverhawks in Tahlequah, OK.
Pitt State started game one of the double headers off hot and kept it going. Scoring three runs in the second inning and eight runs in the third inning, Pitt State easily cruised to a 13-2 win over Northeastern Oklahoma.
Hayes, senior Maddie Fernadez, and junior Ava Sarwinski each led the team with three RBIs, with Fernadez and Sarwinski each hammering a homerun. Freshman Ava Laurent picked up her tenth win of the season, remaining undefeated.
Following the win, the Gorillas picked up right where they left off, hammering the Riverhawks again to the tune of 11-2. The Riverhawks got on the board first in the third, but Pitt State answered in the fourth with six runs to take back momentum.
Hayes had three RBI yet again, notching her 36th career home run in the process, tying her four fourth most home runs in program history. Senior pitcher Kiana Pogroszewski claimed her ninth win of the season with five innings of work.
“We know when we need to pick it up for our pitchers, this offense is kind of like a chain reaction, all it takes is that one hit and everyone’s hitting,” said Hayes.
Following the empathic pair of wins, Pitt State traveled to take on #3 Rogers State. Pitt State was unable to pull out a win in the doubleheader, seeing their 22-game winning streak end in a pair of tight matchups.
The Gorillas lost the first game 1-2, as a two run second inning was just enough for the Hillcats to take the win. A seventh inning RBI by Kadyn Trochim gave the Gorillas their lone point, as Laurent had her first loss of the season.
The second game, Pitt State overcame a slow start to take a 4-3 lead in the fifth, but a run in the sixth and a walk off homer in the seventh gave Rogers State the win. Junior pitcher Chelsea Beville took the loss for Pitt State, as Hayes hit a two-run homer in the fourth.
“I would rather lose those games now than keep that win streak going, and then get to postseason and don’t know what to do when we lose, how to react to it. I think losing those games was a big learning experience,” said Hayes.
Pitt State will look to bounce back this week, as they host Nebraska Kearney and Fort Hays State.