PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College softball team (7-11, 3-5) fell in two tight Presidents Athletic Conference matchups against the Chatham Cougars (7-15, 3-5). 
 
W&J 0, Chatham 2 (Game 1)
 
Senior Hannah Allen (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford) led the Presidents from the plate, going 2-for-3 in the opening of two games against the Cougars.
 
W&J found themselves down a run early as the Cougars struck first in their opening round of at-bats. The Presidents' defense settled in and held the Cougars to the following scoreless innings.
 
Offensively, W&J found the bases six out of the seven innings, but the Chatham defense made the necessary adjustments to prevent any runs from crossing home plate. Four W&J players found hits throughout game one of the doubleheader, and one more reached on an error.
 
Senior Kaylee Witner (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) pitched all six defensive innings for the Presidents. Witner had three strikeouts in the contest.
 
W&J 2, Chatham 4 (Game 2)
 
Senior Julia DiPietro-Harvey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) helped lead W&J in game two, going 2-for-3 from the plate and scoring a run. Additionally, junior Mirranda Rinehart (Washington, Pa./Trinity) hit 2-for-4 and scored the second run. Sophomore Sydney VanNess (Warren, Ohio/Howland) hit 1-for-3 and drove in a run.
 
Chatham took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Presidents did not go away that easily. DiPietro-Harvey tripled to left field to record the senior's 100^th career hit as a President. The following batter, VanNess, hit a sacrifice fly out to right field to bring the Cougar lead down to two.

Chatham responded with a run of their own, but that did not stop W&J from trying to cut into the Cougar lead. A two-hit combo from DiPietro-Harvey and VanNess started a President rally in the fifth, but the Chatham defense found the necessary answers yet again.
 
The Red & Black cut the lead down to two again in the sixth. Rinehart singled to center field to start the rally. Haylee Young (Zanesville, Ohio/John Glenn) recorded her first career hit, double, and RBI to bring Rinehart home.
 
A double from freshman Jacie Hilligsberg (South Park, Pa./South Park) forced Chatham to make a pitching change in the top of the seventh to protect their lead. The Cougar defense responded, and the home team took home game two by a 4-2 scoreline.       
 
The Presidents return to Brooks Park tomorrow (April 1) for a non-conference doubleheader against the Carlow Celtics. First pitch for game one will be at 3:30 p.m., weather permitting.