HOUSTON – HCU fell behind in the top of the first and was never quite able to make up the difference as the game went on, dropping an 11-8 decision to Pitt in the Houston Tournament at Cougar Softball Stadium on Friday morning.
Pitt (7-3) got a leadoff double from Yvonne Whaley followed by a hit batter. Sarah Seamans then lined a single to center to score a run and put runners on first and second. A double-steal put two in scoring position but HCU (8-5) starting pitcher Ronnie Grofman got a strikeout and a fielder's choice with
Kaicey Hagler throwing out the runner at home. With two outs, a throwing error on a steal attempt allowed another run to score with a third run scoring on a throwing error by
Maggie Childs.
In the bottom of the second,
Haylie Savage reached on a one-out single followed by a double off the wall to put runners on second and third. Childs drew a walk to load the bases with Grofman and
Riley Martin also drawing consecutive walks to bring home a pair of runs and make it a 3-2 ballgame.
The Panthers added four runs in the top of the third, first with an RBI single and then a three-run home run from Cami Compson.
Sydlik led off the bottom of the fourth with a single through the right side followed by a double off the left wall by Childs, putting runners in scoring position. A groundout to second by Grofman scored pinch runner
Jackie Jessup but Childs was left stranded on third with the score 7-3.
In the fifth, Pitt added a pair on a home run to center by Kylie Griggs but the Huskies came right back in the bottom half with
AB Garcia drawing a leadoff walk and advancing to third on a pair of groundouts. Savage then drove a 2-0 offering over the wall to right to again pull HCU within four, 9-5.
Pitt got a leadoff single and a stolen base to start the sixth and Bailey Drapola then doubled to left center to bring Whaley around to score. Two batters later, with one out, Amanda Ramirez doubled off the wall to bring Drapola around to score. Reliever
Lyndie Swanson got a pair of groundouts to end the inning for the Huskies. In the HCU half, Childs led off with an infield single followed by a Grofman single to right. Martin drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out, setting up a pair of RBI groundouts off the bats of
Avery Drake and Garcia for an 11-7 score through six.
Swanson put up a zero in the top of the seventh and
Jasie Roberts opened the bottom of the seventh with a home run over the fence to center to cut the HCU deficit to just three, 11-8. Three consecutive flyouts, including a Sydlik fly ball to the left field wall, ended the game.
Childs, Savage and Sydlik all had two hits in the loss with Savage scoring two and driving in a pair. Grofman also had a pair of RBI. Savage's home run was her second of the season while Roberts was her first.
Grofman took the loss in the circle, allowing four earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched to fall to 2-1 on the year. The junior struck out two without issuing a walk. Swanson allowed four earned runs in 4.2 innings of relief work.
HCU will be back at Cougar Softball Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 25, to take on Illinois at 3:00 p.m.
