It was a disappointing end to last weekend for the softball team, as the #22 Gorillas’ record-making winning streak ended at 20 games with a loss to Winona State in the Top Gun Invite. Despite the 4-8 loss, the Gorillas weren’t phased as they hosted Minnesota State – Moorhead this past weekend, winning both games and seeming unfazed by the recent loss.
Pitt State would make short work of the Dragons in game one, as they won 15-5. Pitt State would gain a 4-0 lead after the first, while the Dragons would respond with a single run in the second. Things would get out of hand immediately, as the Gorillas would score ten runs in just the second inning, blowing the game wide open. Pitt State would tack on an extra run for good measure, retiring the Dragons in just five innings.
Senior Heather Arnett finished the game going 3-of-3 with a pair of runs driven in and scoring twice herself. Graduate student Kadyn Trochim and senior Sailor Hall tied for the team lead with three RBI each as junior Taylor Lundien led the team with three runs scored. Sophomore Lexi Franklin picked up her fifth win of the season with 3.2 innings of work as redshirt sophomore Erica Schertz pitched the final 1.1 innings.
The second game would go just as quickly as the first, with a 14-6 five inning win for the Gorillas. Pitt State would once again jump out to the races, scoring three runs in the first inning and nine runs in the second inning. Minnesota State – Moorhead would score some runs late to help close the gap, but not enough to prevent the mercy rule.
The Gorillas were led by senior Lexi Davis with a 4-of-4 performance for five RBI and two runs scored. Davis ended up being one of six Gorillas to score twice in the game. Hall capped off the day with her second home run in as many games, finishing with three runs driven in. Junior Emma Crabb was perfect through three innings and finished with 4.0 innings of work for the win. Freshman Amanda Gibilisco closed out the game in her season debut with a pair of strikeouts.
With the impressive pair of wins, the Gorillas have now moved to 22-1 on the season but have yet to play a MIAA Conference game so far this season. Arnett made history this weekend as she reached 313 career hits, surpassing the MIAA record previously set by the University of Central Oklahoma’s Morgan Heard, who held the MIAA career hits record with 308.
Pitt State has one last nonconference tournament next weekend, when they compete in the MIAA NSIC Challenge next weekend, at home. A week after, the Gorillas will travel to play Nebraska Kearney in the first MIAA series of the season.