WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Strong pitching, error-free defense and timely hitting propelled the Washington & Jefferson College softball team to a pair of shutout victories Thursday in a non-conference sweep of visiting Pitt-Greensburg at Brooks Park. The Presidents jumped out to early leads in both games en route to respective wins of 5-0 and 8-0 over the Bobcats.
The Presidents pitching seems to rise to the occasion on April 20. The Presidents also posted a pair of shutouts against Thiel on this date two years ago (4/20/21). That was the last time that W&J recorded a pair of shutouts in the same doubleheader before doing so Thursday against Pitt-Greensburg.
The sweep improves W&J to 11-17 overall while UPG drops to 8-20.
Game One - W&J 5, Pitt-Greensburg 0
Kaylee Witner (Freeland, Pa. / MMI Preparatory School) recorded her first collegiate complete game shutout in a crisp 73-pitch effort. Witner struck out four, walked none and scattered five hits over the seven innings. Witner induced soft contact all afternoon, as the Bobcats hit into 15 ground outs.
The Presidents pushed four runs across in the first inning to take the early lead. W&J loaded the bases when
Peyton Eckenrode (York Haven, Pa./Northeastern) was hit by a pitch,
Aliya Schraeder (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) singled and
Kyra Blauth (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) singled.
Hannah Allen (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford) followed with an RBI single down the right field line that brough two runs home.
Mackenzie Boyd (Beaver, Pa./Beaver) followed with a two-run single up the middle to score Blauth and Allen to make it 4-0.
W&J added an insurance run in the bottom of the third. Allen singled with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Deanna Gratton (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) brought home Allen with a single up the box that made it 5-0.
Allen had the lone multi-hit effort in game one for the Presidents.
Game Two - W&J 8, Pitt-Greensburg 0 (6 Innings)
Pitching was the story for the Presidents again in game two.
Jordan Hinz (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) logged her first complete game shutout of the season. The junior matched her season-high with eight strikeouts. She waslked just one and allowed just two hits in six innings of work.
W&J jumped out to an early lead by scoring three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning.
Julia DiPietro-Harvey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) ignited the offense with a leadoff triple. Eckenrode followed with a double to plate DiPietro-Harvey to take a 1-0 lead.
Savannah Keough (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) followed with a bunt single that allowed Eckenrode to score on an errant throw. Two batters later, Keough stole second and scored when Boyd singled up the middle to make it 3-0.
The Presidents tacked on another run in the third when they executed a double steal that brought Eckenrode home to stretch the lead to 4-0. Boyd used a bunt single to plate
Kyra Blauth (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) to make it 5-0 after five innings.
W&J finished off the run-rule victory with three runs in the sixth. DiPietro-Harvey and Eckenrode reached with back-to-back singles. Keough tallied another bunt single to load the bases. Blauth followed with a sac fly to right field which scored DiPietro-Harvey to make it 6-0. After a third stolen base by Keough put two runners in scoring position, Gratton came through with a two-run single up the middle to finish off the victory.
The Red and Black had things clicking offensively in game two, as the Red and Black racked up 16 hits. DiPietro-Harvey, Eckenrode, Keough and Gratton all finished with three hits in the nightcap.
On Deck: W&J returns to action Friday when they host Allegheny College for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
