Westminster Takes Two From Softball

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster softball team swept the Penn State Behrend Lions by identical scores 5-2 in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon.

In each game, the Lions (3-9) took the early lead and recorded more hits than the Titans (10-4), while only giving up three earned runs out of the 10 surrendered on the day.

In the opener, Behrend got two runs in the second inning to start the scoring.  Shannon McDonnell (Fayston, VT/Harwood Union) singled and touched home on an error, before Alexa Bupp (Warren, PA/Warren) hit a solo long ball to make it 2-0.

Westminster defense shut down Behrend in the remaining five innings. Ashley Smith picked up the win on the hill for the Titans, striking out six and allowing six hits. Westminster used four hits to score five runs in the final frames to take game one.

Leah Griffin (Springboro, PA/Conneaut Valley) joined Bupp with two hits in game one. In addition to a home run, McDonnell also smacked a double. Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) was the pitcher for the Lions. She only allowed two earned runs, fanned four and gave up four hits.

The Lions held a 7-6 hit advantage in the nightcap and got on the board first, but could not hold onto the lead. Julia Luke (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf), who had two hits,  got on base with one in the second and then scored on Kelsey Heinrich's (Brookville, PA/Brookville) double for a 1-0 edge.

Westminster used a triple in the second to knot the game at 1-all. It was a big four-run third inning that eventually put the Titans on top. McDonnell hit her team-leading third home run in the top seventh inning to round the bases and tack on another run for the Lions.

Bupp pitched the entire game two, giving up just one earned run and striking out four.  Holly Miller (Harborcreek, PA/Harbor Creek) tallied a double in a 2-for-3 outing at the plate.

Behrend returns to action on Saturday at Franciscan. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.