STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – Lady Baron softball got off to a strong start against Pitt. – Bradford but lost the momentum, losing to the Panthers 12-1 and 25-0 in their double header. 

In the top of the first inning of game one, able pitching and effective fielding forced three straight outs and enabled the Lady Barons to take an early lead, something the team hasn't been able to do much this season.

Senior captain Rosemary Cassidy didn't waste any time taking advantage of the opportunity, leading off with a momentum building triple. A sacrifice groundout from sophomore second baseman Elizabeth Knab brought Cassidy home and gave FUS a 1-0 lead. 

"Rose started us off strong and I thought that was going to set the momentum," head coach Jen Parker said. "The first game they played well. We had good pitching and we were hitting the ball."

The pitching from junior Ashley Ruttencutter held strong for the first five innings of the game. Her consistent pitching and a few skilled defensive plays from third baseman Mallori Linscomb and center fielder Iliana Gonzales kept the score to a 4-1 Bradford lead. 

"We played a really good defensive game in the first game," Parker said. It was in the sixth that Ruttencutter's arm began to tire and the Panthers put another eight runs on the scoreboard. 

Despite the difficult sixth inning, the Lady Barons efforts in game one seemed to bode well for game two but the defensive proficiency from game one disappeared. Eight FUS fielding errors and seven walks led to a 25-0 game two.

"We had some high hopes for the second game and obviously it was a disappointing result," Parker said. "It just did not turn out any way that we hoped."

Actually, one thing did turnout as well as hoped, and that was the play of Gonzales who followed up going 1-2 from the plate in game one with a 2-2 performance in game two including her second double of the game. 

Just two opponents ago Gonzales, also an All-Conference basketball player, registered her first hits of the season and has been getting better and better from the plate since. 

"We know that she's been a great fielder but she really wasn't very confident in the batters box," Parker said. "But as soon as she got her first hit it turned her on and she's got a heck of a bat."

Parker said that she needs more of her players to find that same confidence with the bat, and find more consistency in the field moving forward.

Her team will get a chance to work on both of those right away as they play Penn St. - Behrend at home just 24 hours later on April 6 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.