The 2026 season has begun, and Pitt State softball has come tearing right out of the gate. The team took a little trip to Daytona beach, Florida, this past weekend, where they competed in the Embry-Riddle Invitational. The trip was a resounding success for Pitt State, as they won four in a row to start the season undefeated.
The Gorillas are coming off of a disappointing end to the last two seasons, where they were bounced out of the NCAA Division II regionals both years, despite the 2024 team holding the Pitt State record for most wins in a season. Coming from that disappointment and still having this strong start shows a team with some heart.
Pitt State started early Friday morning, facing the University of Mount Olive Trojans. The game was a short one, as the Gorillas raced out to a fast 8-0 lead, with the game ending after only six innings of play. Friday continued to be an easy day for the Gorillas, as they faced Embry-Riddle in the afternoon. The Gorillas pitched a second shutout, winning 6-0 to improve to 2-0 overall.
Saturday wouldn’t start until the early afternoon for Pitt State, as they faced the Trojans for a second time. The results were much the same, as the Gorillas won 9-3. Pitt State would take a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning, and the points would just continue to pile on.
Against Mount Olive, the Gorillas were led by junior Taylor Lundien, who went 4-of-4 with a pair of runs driven in. Graduate student Kadyn Trochim also finished with two RBI from a pair of hits. In the circle, senior Sailor Hall picked up her first win for Pitt State with four strikeouts in four innings. Junior Emma Crabb finished with 2.2 innings of relief, striking out five.
The Gorillas then pivoted to play Ferris State that same afternoon, in the closest game of the whole tournament for Pitt State, a 13-7 win. Pitt State would get on the board early, racing out to a 4-0 lead, but both teams would become knotted up at seven apiece in the sixth inning. Pitt State held on, scoring six unanswered runs in the seventh inning, taking the lead and the game.
Senior Heather Arnett tied a school record with five hits, while also scoring twice and her bases clearing triple, representing the highest number of runs driven in for the game. Senior Alleyna Rushing finished with four hits, while junior Haili Igou and Rushing tied for the team lead in the game with three runs scored. In the circle, Crabb picked up her first win with 1.2 innings of relief.
The Gorillas will return to action Friday, Feb. 6, when they travel to the Southern Colorado Crossover. Pitt State will face Colorado Springs, then Adams State, followed by Colorado State Pueblo twice. Softball has six tournaments to start the season, with conference play not beginning until late March.