Lions Fall On Opening Day

CLERMONT, Fl.  – The Penn State Behrend softball team dropped their first two matches of the season, falling to Findlandia 18-8 and Lesley 9-0 on the first day of Spring Break at the 2011 Dot Richardson National Training Center.

In game one, Finlandia jumped out to an 8-5 lead and used a 10-run fourth inning to seal the victory. Morgan Griffin hit a grand slam in the five-run second inning for the Lions, while Amy Greene hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.

Finlandia tallied 13 hits with one error, while Behrend collected six hits with four errors.

In game two,  Jennifer Dorval threw a two-hitter with eight strikeouts to lead Lesley to its first win of the season with a 9-0 victory.

Emily Mangiaratti went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three runs for the Linx. Amy Greene and Chloe Vernon each tallied a hit for the Lions.

Both pitchers opened their games with leadoff walks, with Lesley's Mangiaratti coming around to score the Lynx first run of the season thanks to a pair of Behrend passed balls. With the bases loaded following two singles and a walk, freshman Molly Sarson plated Sarah Apgar on a chopper giving the Lynx a 2-0 lead after one.

Maria Nazzaro's infield grounder to third opened the Lynx second inning. The freshman promptly swiped second base, advanced on Jessica Guevara's second sacrifice bunt in as many innings, and scored on an Apgar single to left.

The next batter, Alyson Durben also singled to left, which scored Mangiaratti from third and Apgar from first after a Chloe Vernon error.

With a sizable cushion after the first two innings in her first collegiate start, Dorval responded with a proverbial shut-down inning. The freshman struck out the side in order to keep the Lynx on top 5-0 through three.

Dorval, though, was just getting going. She fanned the side again the next inning for her sixth straight strikeout. With shutout still intact, Dorval escaped a one-out bases loaded jam unharmed.

Lesley scored three runs on four singles in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run Mangiaratti single that put the Lynx up 9-0, which would be the final.

Behrend returns to action tomorrow against Sage and Case Western tomorrow. First game is at 9:30 a.m.