ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team remains undefeated at home this season with 8-0 (6) and 5-1 victories over D'Youville in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Wednesday afternoon.
Alexa Bupp (Warren, PA/Warren) went 5-for-8 from the plate with four RBIs to help the Lion (24-12, 14-2 AMCC) stay out front in the conference with two games remaining. Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) threw a four-hit shutout in an abbreviated six-inning game one, while Bupp went 3-for-4 with three RBI for the eight-run win.
Behrend scored the majority of its runs in the first inning. Bupp's single up the middle got the Lions on the scoreboard, taking Carson Hauser (Westfield, NY/Westfield Academy) off second and home. Katie Gozzard (Pittsburgh, PA/Deer Lakes) walked to load the bases, before Lacey Hilderbrand (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) and Angela Sullivan (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon) each walked to knock in Shannon McDonnell (Fayston, VT/Harwood Union) and Bupp, respectively.
Kelsey Heinrich (Brookville, PA/Brookville) doubled up the middle to score two more runs for a 5-0 lead after the first. In the fifth, McDonnell tripled to get Hauser her second run of the game to make it 6-0. The Lions added two more runs in the sixth on Bupp''s single to right field for the final.
In game two, AJ Nichols (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) tallied two hits including a triple while pitching a complete game and striking out four for the win.
Behrend recorded four runs before the Spartans got their lone run of the day in the top of the sixth with a solo home run. The Lions went ahead 2-0 after the second. With two outs, Jillian Williams (Corry, PA/Corry) reached on an error to send Alayna Derzak (Seven Fields, PA/Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic) home from first. Williams then scored on a bunt hit by Hauser for a 2-0 lead.
Hauser, who tallied four hits on the day, singled to right center in the bottom of the fourth to score Derzak to get Behrend to 3-0. In the next frame, Bupp made the most of her double to lead off the fifth and scored on the ensuing error for another run.
The Spartans cranked out a home run, but the Lions relied on Bupp for an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a single to score Nichols for a 5-1 decision.
Behrend returns to action on Saturday in the last regular-season doubleheader against Franciscan. Game times are 1 and 3 p.m.