Pitt Earns Doubleheader Sweep Over Dayton

Saturday, April 25

Pittsburgh, Pa.

2 PM

Pitt

23-24

Dayton

21-20

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Dayton	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	3	6	2
Pitt	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	1	4	5	1

Pitt Earns Doubleheader Sweep Over Dayton

4/25/2026 7:45:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

PITTSBURGH – Pitt earned a doubleheader sweep of Dayton Saturday at Vartabedian Field, taking game one in extra innings, 4-3, before earning a 6-3 victory in game two.
Game One: Pitt 4, Dayton 3
Pitt and Dayton were held scoreless through the first inning before Gwen Sparks settled in, retiring the Flyers in order in the top of the second to send the Panthers back to the plate.

Pitt struck first in the bottom of the second as KK Esparza reached second base and Addison Oberbreckling delivered an RBI single to shallow right field to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

The Panthers added to their advantage in the fourth inning. Shelby Frazier reached on a Dayton throwing error and moved to second, while Addison Toczek drew a walk. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position before Gracie Helton lined a two-run single to extend the lead to 3-0.

Dayton got on the board in the top of the fifth with a solo home run from Izzy Calinski. The Flyers continued to push in the seventh, using back-to-back doubles before tying the game at 3-3 following a Pitt fielding error.

Allie Lukaszewicz entered in relief of Sparks in the seventh inning. Sparks finished with 6.1 innings pitched, allowing three runs, one earned, while walking two and striking out three. Lukaszewicz was strong in relief, retiring four of the five batters she faced and striking out two, including back-to-back strikeouts in a scoreless eighth inning.

Under the international tiebreaker rule, Tieley Vaughn was placed on second to begin the bottom of the eighth. Alena Ball laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Vaughn to third, and Calle Henne drew a walk. Payton Harris entered as a pinch runner and stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Mackenzie Reese then worked a full count before delivering a walk-off single to secure the 4-3 victory.

Game Two: Pitt 8, Dayton 3
Mia Kliethermes was dominant early in the circle, recording four strikeouts among the first seven batters she faced and keeping Dayton off balance through the opening innings.

She worked out of trouble in the top of the fourth, ending the inning with a strikeout to strand two Flyers in scoring position and keep it a one-run game.

Pitt's offense broke through in the bottom of the fourth with a six-run inning. Alena Ball led off with a single before Calle Henne launched a go-ahead two-run home run to put the Panthers in front.

Mackenzie Reese followed with a double to left field, Gracie Helton drew a walk, and Macy Hamilton reached on a throwing error to load the bases. Shelby Frazier added an RBI infield single before Tieley Vaughn cleared the bases with a double into the right-center gap, giving Pitt a 6-1 advantage.

Dayton answered with two runs on four hits in the top of the sixth, but the Panthers held on to complete the doubleheader sweep with a 6-3 win.

Pitt closes out the regular season with a three-game series against Cal May 1-3 at Vartabedian Field. The Panthers will celebrate Senior Day on May 2.