Softball splits PAC opening doubleheader versus Westminster

WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College softball battled to a doubleheader split with conference rival Westminster College Wednesday afternoon at Brooks Park. 

The doubleheader was the first conference games of the season for the Presidents. After dropping a 9-4 decision to the Titans in game one, the Presidents bounced back for a 8-7 win in game two. The game two victory gave W&J its first win over Westminster since the 2019 season. 
 
Game 1 – Westminster 9, W&J 4
 
Westminster jumped out to an early 3-0 with three runs on four hits in the top of the first inning of game one. 

After W&J got a run back in the bottom of the second inning, the Titans pushed two runs across in the top of the third to stretch the lead to 5-1.
  
The Red and Black answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. W&J shortstop Hannah Allen (Harrison City, Pa. / Penn-Trafford) slugged a solo home run to deep center field. Her moon shot over the Brooks Park fence was her second home run of the season. 

Freshman utility Miranda Rinehart (Washington, Pa. / Trinity) followed with a double and scored followed back-to-back singles by senior pitcher Sydney Petrowski (Lemont Furnace, Pa./Connellsville) and sophomore outfielder Kyra Blauth (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills). 
 
The Titans put some distance between themselves and the Presidents with two runs in both the top of the fourth and sixth innings. Those runs extended the Titans’ lead to 9-3. 
 
W&J put the first three runners on base in the bottom of the seventh inning. Rinehart was hit by a pitch to start the frame while Taylor Dunn (Washington, Pa./Trinity) singled and Blauth walked. However, W&J could manage just one run in the inning. A run-scoring sac fly by sophomore third baseman Deanna Gratton (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) closed the scoring at 9-4. 
 
Nine of the 10 Presidents to record at least one at bat had a hit in the opener. Blauth led the charge for the Presidents as she had the only multi-hit effort in game one. 
 
Petrowski started, worked 5.2 innings and suffered the loss in the circle for the Presidents. Dunn tossed 1.1 innings scoreless in relief. 
 
Game 2 – W&J 8, Westminster 7
 
Following the first game loss, W&J starter Kaylee Witner (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) retired the Titans in order in the top of the first. 
 
The Presidents scored twice in the bottom of the second to get on the board first. Savannah Keough () opened the frame with a single and advanced to third on a double by junior first baseman Alex Miller (King of Prussia, Pa. / Upper Merion Area). Sophomore outfielder Julia DiPietro-Harvey (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Taylor Allderdice) would plate the two base runners with a two-run single to give the Presidents a 2-0 lead over the Titans.
 
W&J was able to hold its 2-0 lead until the top of the fifth. Westminster would score three times on two hits in the inning to take a 3-2 advantage.
 
The Presidents proved resilient by answering with two runs in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead. Consecutive singles by DiPietro-Harvey and Rinehart placed two runners on base. Following a sac bunt, W&J scored the tying run on a fielders choice. Witner helped her own cause with a go-ahead RBI single to plate Rinehart.  

Witner quickly retired Westminster in order in the top of the sixth. That allowed the W&J offense to go back to work in the bottom of the frame. Clinging to a one-run lead, W&J scored four runs on six hits. All of the damage came after the first two batters were quickly retired. Rinehart would start a two out rally as she launched the ball to the right center fence for a big two-out triple.
 
Aliya Schraeder (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) would drive in Rinehart with an RBI single through the right side. A single by Allen would give the President’s two runners on base as Blauth comes up to bat. Blauth would crack a double to score both Schraeder and Allen to make it 7-3 Presidents. In the next at bat, Witner helped her own cause with an RBI single that scored Blauth. The RBI single by Witner would prove pivotal in the final inning, as W&J led 8-3 entering the top of the seventh.
 
Westminster scored four runs in the top of the seventh. A three-run home run by Mackenzie Latess cut the W&J lead to 8-6. 

The Titans added two more hits before senior pitcher Jordan Hinz (Ellicott City, Md. / Centennial) came in to close the door on the victory for W&J. Hinz retired the only batter she would face to finish off the 8-7 victory for the Presidents.
 
W&J finished with a season-high 14 hits in the victory. Six different Presidents would record multi-hit efforts in the game two win.

Witner, Blauth and DiPietro-Harvey had two RBI apiece. 
 
The win was the first of the season for Witner, who tossed 6.2 innings in the circle. Hinz recorded the final out for her first save of 2024.
 
Up Next: W&J heads to Thiel College for a league doubleheader on Friday, March 29. First pitch will be thrown at 3:30 p.m. in Greenville at Tomcat Park.