D'Youville Slips Past Behrend

ERIE, Pa. – The D'Youville softball team took two games from Penn State Behrend, winning the first 5-0 and posting a 7-6 bottom of the seventh victory on a game-winning RBI single by Gabby Lathrop in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Thursday.

With four lead changes in game two, the Spartans (8-6, 4-2 AMCC) scored the game-winning run with two outs on their last chance at bat to sweep the Lions (8-11, 5-5 AMCC).

Shannon Sutton singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hannah Norton. After the second out, Lathrop knocked in a base hit that dropped right behind first base to second Sutton off second to score the need run for the victory.

After being down 1-0 after the second inning, Behrend took its first lead of the day with three runs in the top of the fourth.  Kelsey Fuller, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, singled to left field to score Samantha Grismore. A wild pitch advanced Fuller and pinch runner Chloe Vernon, with both eventually crossing the plate for a 3-1 lead.

D'Youville responded with three runs of its own in the fifth to regain the lead in the fifth, 4-3.

In the top of the sixth, the Lions were faced with bases loaded and the tying run on third. Amy Greene steps up with two outs and two strikes. She bunted and reached first to send in Julie Heinl. Grismore then walked to give Behrend the go-ahead run at 5-4.

The Spartans were relentless and came back with two runs for a 6-5 lead, but the Lions tied it at 6-all in the seventh. Fuller doubled to left field, stole third and scored the tying run on a wild pitch.

D'Youville was able to keep the game at seven innings with the game-winning RBI single by Lathrop.

Green also had a 3-for-4 performance in game two. Julie Heinl was credited with the loss, giving up seven hits and six earned runs.

In the opener, Norton pitched a three-hit shutout and fanned 11 batters for a 5-0 win. The Spartans went ahead early with four runs in the fourth while adding one in the third. Four different players tallied two hits for D'Youville.

Fuller threw six innings and allowing three earned runs out of five and striking out one in the loss.

The Lions return to action tomorrow against Pitt-Greensburg. The doubleheader begins at 11 a.m.