JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Mansfield University's softball team kept their drive toward the PSAC Playoff picture alive as they swept the University of Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday.
Mansfield won the opener 5-0 before earning the sweep with a 5-2 win in the nightcap.
The sweep puts Mansfield in sole possession of third place in the PSAC Central division with an 11-6 conference record. Bloomsburg and Lock Haven have each clinched playoff berths, with only one playoff spot remaining in the division. The Mounties can clinch a playoff berth with one more divisional win with Sunday's doubleheader with Lock Haven remaining.
IUP is fourth in the division with a 9-8 record in the central. The Crimson Hawks need to sweep their doubleheader with Pitt-Johnstown on Sunday and hope for a Lock Haven sweep over Mansfield. Mansfield and IUP have an unfinished game from Tuesday that was halted in the fifth inning due to rain still left to be played if playoff implications necessitate. If the game should be played, it would be picked up with IUP leading 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning with one out and a Mansfield runner on first base.
Game 1
Joelle Snyder drew a lead-off walk to start the game and moved over to third on a sac bunt and ground out. She cruised home for the first run of the game on
Lacey O'Donnell's RBI double into left field.
Pitt-Johnstown put at least one runner in scoring position over the next three innings - including runners on second and third in the third inning – but the Mountie defense would not break.
Snyder led-off the top of the fifth with an infield single then made it to third on a groundout and a
Deshae Jones single. It was déjà vu all over again as O'Donnell knocked in Snyder again with an RBI single through the left side.
Kristie Radvan opened the bottom of the sixth with a double for UPJ. However, the Mountie defense neutralized the threat with a heads up play at third base to get the lead runner. UPJ's offense would be turned away again in the sixth as Mansfield maintained a 2-0 advantage.
Deshae Jones hit a lead-off single in the top of the seventh before O'Donnell reached on an error to put a pair of runners aboard.
Cassidy Smith added a big dose of insurance with a three-run home run to make it 5-0.
Both starting pitchers,
Arianna Young and Kristen Coffay, went seven innings. Young struck out seven batters for the Mounties and allowed just one walk in earning her seventh win of the season. It was the ninth complete game effort of the season for Young and the first shutout of the year.
GAME 2
In the nightcap, Snyder belted the second pitch of the game over the fence in left-center to put the Mounties on top, 1-0.
Snyder added a two-run homer to right in the top of the third, and
Hannah Breitigan connected for a two-run shot to center in the fourth to extend Mansfield's lead to 5-0.
The Mountain Cats scored a run in the sixth and seventh innings, but
Alexis Easling was able to finish the job. She had four strikeouts in the complete-game win to successfully sweep UPJ.
Snyder's two home runs led the team, but the lineup saw considerable contributions coming from Breitigan,
Deshae Jones, and O'Donnell. Jones finished 3-for-4, and O'Donnell was 2-for-4 on the night.
The Mountaineers are scheduled to finish their season at home against Lock Haven tomorrow afternoon. Due to the impending weather slated to hit the region, the details of those games could change. Stay up to date on the status of those games through GoMounties.com and the official @MUMounties social media platforms.
