PITTSBURG, KS. — When your season hangs in the balance, champions find a way to survive and advance. That's exactly what Pittsburg State Softball did on Friday, battling through two elimination games to keep their NCAA Division II National Tournament dreams alive.
The Gorillas opened the day with a gritty 6-3 victory over fifth-seeded Winona State, avenging their only loss of the season back in February. But the drama was just beginning. Hours later, they faced seventh-seeded Rogers State in a winner-take-all showdown, emerging with a heart-stopping 1-0 victory that had fans on the edge of their seats.
Game one was a true test of resilience. Winona State came out swinging, launching a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to grab an early lead. But Lexi Franklin found her rhythm in the circle, settling in for a complete-game performance that included four strikeouts while allowing just three earned runs and six hits. The offense answered back immediately, with Kadyn Trochim crushing a solo home run in the bottom half of the first to cut the deficit in half.
The game remained tightly contested through the middle innings. Lexi Davis and Trista Peterson delivered clutch RBIs, knotting the score at 3-3 heading into the sixth. That's when Davis stepped up and delivered the defining moment of the game, launching a three-run home run that sent the Gorillas bench into a frenzy.
"It felt good," Head Coach Josh Barnes said of Davis's heroics. "I looked at her before her at-bat and just said, 'Hey, this is your moment, man. Go live it.' It's really cool when they get that moment."
The victory set up a rematch with Rogers State, the same team that had handed Pitt State a 9-3 loss just 24 hours earlier and knocked them out of the MIAA tournament less than two weeks ago. This time, the Gorillas were determined to write a different ending.
Emma Crabb took the circle and delivered a masterpiece, tossing a complete-game shutout with seven innings of work, one strikeout, and just four hits allowed. But the offense struggled to break through, stranding eight baserunners through six tense innings. Finally, in the top of the seventh, with Heather Arnett at the plate, the Gorillas found the breakthrough they needed, pushing across the game's only run to secure the victory and keep their national championship hopes alive.