SALEM, WV - Mother Nature finally granted the Salem International University softball a chance to play its third and fourth home games of the season on Wednesday afternoon (Apr. 12) against Pitt-Johnstown at Hope Field. The Mountain Lions erased a 2-0 deficit with a six-run top of the fifth inning to capture a 6-2 victory in game one and would plate eight runs in the firs two innings of game two en route to a 9-1 win.
The Tigers host Bluefield State on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 15) for a pair of games at Hope Field. The twin bill is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. as the Tigers will honor a pair of seniors prior to the start of game one.
SIU spotted junior starter
Kayla Lynch a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning of game one as she started the frame with a lead-off walk. Freshman
Morgan Atkinson would plate Lynch two batters later with a double to center field.
Junior
Tori Butler followed with an RBI double of her own down the left field line to score Atkinson from second base. The Mountain Lions got out of the inning one batter later as junior catcher
Hanna Crew flied out to right field.
Lynch held the Mountain Lions scoreless through four innings of play, but Pitt-Johnstown rallied in the top of the fifth inning. The Mountain Lions started the frame with an infield single to third base and would eventually load the bases after an error by Lynch, who looked to retire the lead runner at third base.
A two-RBI single to right field knotted the game 2-2 and put runners on second and third for Pitt-Johnstown. The Mountain would take a 3-2 lead as Lynch tried to get the out at first base, allowing the runner from third base to score. after extending its lead to 6-2, the Mountain Lions saw the inning come to a close as Tigers third baseman
Ariana Garcia caught a line-drive just off the bag and would catch the runner coming back to the base.
Pitt-Johnstown starter Melissa Wagner would settle down for the final three innings of the contest en route to securing the victory. Wagner fanned eight SIU batters in the contest.
In game two, Pitt-Johnstown wouldn't wait to get its offense going as it plated three runs in the top of the first inning against SIU junior
Katie Holestin.
The Tigers answered with a run in the bottom-half of the inning as Atkinson kicked things off by reaching base on an error by the left fielder. With a runner on second, senior
Vanessa Jimenez singled on a bunt back to the pitcher, moving Atkinson to third. A fielder's choice two batters later saw Atkinson get thrown out at the plate but allow Jimenez to move over to third base. Garcia plated Jimenez with a bunt single back to the pitcher.
Pitt-Johnstown continued the offensive barrage by scoring five runs in the top of the second inning. The Mountain Lions tallied six hits in the frame that saw eight batters come to the plate. The Tigers looked to rally in the bottom of the third inning as Atkinson started the inning with a single. Crew then delivered a one-out single to left field that seemed to put runners on the corners for SIU but saw Atkinson called out at third on a throw from the left fielder. Garcia then ended the frame with a pop-up to third base.
The Mountain Cats increased their lead to 9-1 in the top of the fourth inning as they would capture the victory in five innings. Six different Tigers recorded a hit in game two of the twin bill.
