MUNHALL, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College softball team saw its bats silenced Sunday afternoon when they suffered a pair of setbacks to the Chatham University Cougars in a doubleheader at West Field. The Presidents fell by a 5-1 score in the opener before dropping game two by a 2-1 margin in nine innings.
The losses drop W&J to 4-6 in Presidents' Athletic Conference play and 7-13 overall. The sweep was the first all season for Chatham, who improves to 3-7 in the conference and 7-19 overall.
Game One - Chatham 5, W&J 1
The Cougars opened the scoring with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning. W&J missed on a golden opportunity to respond with runs in the top of the second. Singles by
Kyra Blauth (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) and
Olivia Vecchio (Eighty Four, Pa./Ringgold) put a pair of runners into scoring position with one out. However, a strikeout and ground out ended the threat.
Another error aided the Cougars in the fourth inning. The hosts capitalized with a two-run two-out double which stretched the lead to 3-0.
Chatham tacked on two more insurance runs in the sixth inning to make it 5-0. All of the damage in the frame came after two outs.
W&J avoided the shutout with a run in the seventh.
Aliya Schraeder (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) reached with a one-out single to put a second runner onto base. After an out advanced both runners into scoring position,
Mirranda Rinehart (Washington, Pa./Trinity) singled home
Julia DiPietro-Harvey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) for W&J's lone run of game one.
Sydney Petrowski (Lemont Furnace, Pa./Connellsville) started and suffered the loss in the circle. Petrowski worked 5.2 innings and gave up five runs (three earned runs). Petrowski struck out one and walked two.
Hannah Allen (Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford) saw her impressive hitting streak end in game one. Allen went 0-for-2 with two walks in the opener. Allen had entered the day with at least one hit in each of the first 18 games this season.
Game Two - Chatham 2, W&J 1 (9 Innings)
Kaylee Witner (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) was saddled with the loss in game two despite a strong outing in the circle. Witner worked eight innings and gave up two runs on five hits. Witner struck out five and walked just one.
W&J mustered just three hits in game two. Chatham opened the scoring with a run off a sac bunt in the bottom of the first.
The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Cougars until the top of the fourth inning.
Allen singled with two outs and scored a batter later when Blauth smacked a RBI double to left field.
Witner retired the Cougars in order in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Witner sat down 13 Cougars in order until the ninth.
A leadoff single was followed by a double to center field which plated the game-winning run as the Cougars walked off with the win.
Allen reached base twice and scored the lone run in game two.
On Deck: W&J heads to Saint Vincent College for a makeup doubleheader on Monday, April 15. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
