PHILLIPS WINS NO. 250 AT PITT-BRADFORD

Pitt-Bradford head softball coach Tina Phillips won her 250th career game at Pitt-Bradford Saturday, as the Panthers split a doubleheader with Westminster. The Blue and Gold were edged 4-1 in the opener but rallied in game two to win 9-2.

The Titans used a three-run third inning to slip past the Panthers in game one. Pitt-Bradford's only run came in the sixth inning with it already trailing 4-0.

Starting pitcher Cassidy Lewis was charged for all four runs in six innings of work. She allowed eight hits, walked one and did not strike out a batter. Sophomore OF Liz Dzurisin had two of the Panthers' seven hits, including a RBI single.

Trailing 2-0 in game two, Pitt-Bradford scored three runs in the third inning to go ahead for good, and the Panthers poured it on late to run away 9-2 for Phillips' milestone victory.

Freshman 1B Melissa Nye cut the deficit to 2-1 with a RBI single in the fourth inning, and two batters later, freshman UTIL Betty Fratercangelo lined a base hit to right field, plating a pair of runners to put the Panthers in front 3-2.

In the sixth, sophomore C Nicole Nolte walked with the bases loaded, and Dzurisin delivered the big hit in the next at bat, a two-run single to right field to break the game open. Freshman INF Jenna Fellows added a RBI single moments later to cap a four-run inning, and Pitt-Bradford tacked on two more tallies in the seventh.

The Panthers finished with 13 hits, led by Nye, who was 3-4 with a RBI and run scored. Dzurisin, freshman 3B Lindsey Hull and Fellows each had two hits apiece, and Fratercangelo scored twice.

Freshman Sam Hribal earned her second win of the season, allowing two runs on nine hits in six innings pitched. She struck out one and walked two. Freshman Morgan Bellush pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Phillips, who is in her 14th season of coaching, took over the program in 2004 and has amassed 283 wins in her career. She has led the Panthers to four AMCC championships and three NCAA Division III tournament appearances.

Pitt-Bradford improves to 5-9 on the season and will host No. 5 St. John Fisher Sunday in the team's home opener at 1 p.m.