GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College softball team (11-17) closes out nonconference play for the 2026 campaign with a split of a pair of games against the Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats (10-16). Pitt-Greensburg took game one by a tight 7-6 scoreline, but W&J responded with an 8-3 win in game two.
W&J 6, Pitt-Greensburg 7 (Game One)
Senior
Julia DiPietro-Harvey (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) led the Presidents by going 3-for-4 from the plate. DiPietro-Harvey also had one RBI and scored three runs. Classmate
Hannah Allen (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford) went 3-for-4 at bat and drove in a run. Additionally, sophomore
Anna Luxenberger (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) hit 2-for-4 at bat and scored one run.
The Presidents found their offensive stride early, as the squad took an early 3-1 lead after the top of the second inning. Sophomore
Sydney VanNess (Warren, Ohio/Howland) singled to score DiPietro-Harvey, following the senior's double. In the second, DiPietro-Harvey tripled to score sophomore
Savannah Bodnar (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills). Smart base running found the senior to cross the plate as well.
The Bobcats responded with three runs of their own, but the Presidents kept fighting. The Red & Black rallied off a run in each of the last three innings. Allen singled in the fifth to score DiPietro-Harvey after the senior recorded her third extra-base hit in the contest. Sophomore
Maddie Luxenberger (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) scored her sister in the sixth to give W&J the 5-4 lead.
In the seventh, junior
Mirranda Rinehart (Washington, Pa./Trinity) was hit by a pitch to start one last rally before Allen doubled down the left field line. Freshman
Aliza Michielli (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) successfully pinch hit a sacrifice fly to score Rinehart. The Bobcats found one extra rally in the bottom of the seventh to walk off game one with a 7-6 victory.
Freshman
Braelyn Altman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) got the start in game one, recording four strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched.
W&J 8, Pitt-Greensburg 3 (Game Two)
A. Luxenberger led the Presidents in game two, hitting 3-for-four at the plate. The sophomore also had an RBI and a run scored. Additionally, Allen continued her strong day offensively, hitting 3-for-4 as well. Allen recorded three RBIs and scored two runs.
The Bobcats got off to an early 2-0 lead in game two, but W&J did not go away and responded with three runs of their own. Four batters in a row got hits on a two-out rally to give W&J the lead. Allen doubled to score VanNess, before Bodnar tripled. The bases got cleared yet again on an A. Luxenberger single to center field.
The Bobcats got a run back, but the Presidents closed the game by scoring five unanswered runs in the closing three innings. An error by the Bobcat defense and smart base running by Allen gave W&J the lead back in the fifth. Allen drove in two runs in the sixth following a single by DiPietro-Harvey, and VanNess reaching base on an error.
W&J closed out their eight-run performance with two in the seventh. Senior
Deanna Gratton (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) drove home A. Luxenberger with a double to left field. DiPietro-Harvey switched places with her classmate to secure the 8-3 victory for W&J.
Strong defense, led by senior
Kaylee Witner (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) in the circle, closed the game with four scoreless innings. Witner only allowed two hits during that span at the end of the contest. Overall, the senior picked up her fifth win of the season with a complete game performance. Witner only needed 79 pitches, striking out two and walking one.
The Presidents continue their end-of-season road trip when they travel to take on the Hiram Terriers on Thursday (April 16). First pitch in game one of the twinbill is slated for 3:30 p.m.
