PITTSBURG, Kan. – The No. 23-ranked Pittsburg State University Gorillas put up a pair of 5-3 victories over the Northwest Missouri State University softball squad on Monday.
 
Northwest entered the day riding a three-game winning streak, but Pittsburg State was able to extend its winning streak to eight in a row. PSU is 29-9 overall and 10-2 in MIAA play. The Gorillas remained perfect at home by moving to 14-0 in home contests.
 
GAME ONE
Northwest could not protect a 3-1 lead as Pittsburg State rallied to post a 5-3 victory in game one.
 
The Gorillas scored in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Heather Arnett drew a walk and stole second. She moved up to third on a ground out and then scored on a sacrifice fly to give PSU a 1-0 lead.
 
Skylar Pieper led off the top of the fourth with a solo homer to knot the contest at 1-1. It was Pieper's team-leading fourth round-tripper of the season. Grace Lubben drew a one-out and Omara Love, despite being down in the count 0-and-2, unloaded a two-run homer to right field to give Northwest a 3-1 lead in the fourth.
 
PSU sliced the Bearcat advantage to 3-2 with a run in the bottom half of the fourth. Malia Cuevas caught a line drive and initiated a double play to end the PSU fourth with the Bearcats on top, 3-2.
 
Bearcat starter Rien Moore worked into the fifth inning nursing the 3-2 lead. However, she issued a pair of one-out walks and was lifted for reliever Erika Gore. Gore struck out her first batter before walking the bases loaded. PSU's Arnett greeted Gore with a two-out, two-run double to left center that gave the Gorillas a 4-3 lead.
 
Northwest had runners on first and second with one out in the sixth, but Love lined into a double play at second base to squelch the Bearcat rally.
 
PSU's Kadyn Trochim homered to left center with one in the sixth to lenghten the Gorilla lead to 5-3.
 
Northwest went down in order in the seventh as Pitt State was able to record a 5-3 win.
 
Moore took the loss as she pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on five hits. Moore struck out three but walked eight. Gore tossed the final 1 2/3 in the circle. She allowed one run on three hits. Gore walked one and struck out two.
 
Northwest managed only three hits in game one with two of the hits being fourth-inning homers from Pieper and Love. Gaige Pinkerton had the third hit of the game, a single in the sixth inning. Lillie Filger swiped her team-leading 15th stolen base in the setback.
 
GAME TWO
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The Gorillas jumped out on Bearcat starter Jadyn Streigle for four early runs to chase her from the contest. PSU put up three runs in the first and added another in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead.
 
Northwest cut the lead in half by scoring two unearned runs in the fourth inning. Skylar Pieper led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. She stole second with one out and moved to third on a single from Grace Lubben. Lubben stole second before Omara Love fouled out to third. Malia Cuevas drew a walk to load the bases. Rhian Pinkerton reached on an error by PSU's Kadyn Trochim that allowed Pieper and Lubben to score to trim the PSU lead to 4-2.
 
Love led off the sixth with her fifth triple of the season. Cuevas lifted a sac fly to left to get Love home and cut the PSU advantage to 4-3. Curstin Todd ripped a two-out double to left center and she headed over to third on a single from Lillie Filger. Pinch hitter Kaylee Cords worked a walk to load the bases. Pieper could not keep the inning alive as she grounded the ball up the middle and the Gorillas got the out at second to end the inning with the home team on top, 4-3.
 
PSU's Sophia Driver hit a lead off home run in the bottom of the sixth to extend the Gorilla lead to 5-3.
 
The Bearcats could not mount a rally in the seventh as they went down in order.
 
Northwest managed five hits and five walks but left nine runners on base in game two. Filger accounted for two of the five hits.
 
Streigle took the loss to drop to 5-7 on the season.
 
Northwest will finish this week's slate of games with a doubleheader Tuesday against Missouri Southern in Joplin, Mo.
 
NOTES: Lillie Filger posted two hits in the second game to become the eighth Bearcat softball player to record 200 career hits … Filger is credited with 67 career multi-hit games, including 19 this season … Filger has posted 41 career stolen bases … Omara Love's fifth triple is tied for the sixth-most triples in a season by a Bearcat player … Skylar Pieper has hit 10 career home runs for the Bearcats.