CLERMONT, Fl. – The Penn State Behrend softball team picked up two wins on the first day of spring break, defeating Concordia (Ill.) 5-1 and Wartburg 3-1 in non-conference action on Sunday morning in Clermont, Florida.
The first win over the Cougars marks the 100th career win for head coach Ashley Gruber. Her Lions (2-0) never trailed in the game one thanks to Mackenzie McIntire (Stoneboro, PA/Lakeview) starting the game off with a sacrifice fly in the opening inning and then ending with her first collegiate home run in the bottom of the sixth to break open a 2-1 game.
Behrend had four extra-base hits out of the seven total, including three doubles and a home run. Carson Hauser (Westfield, NY/Westfield Academy), Katie Gozzard (Pittsburgh, PA/Deer Lakes) and Kristen Kargol (Saegertown, PA/Cambridge Springs) smacked doubles, starting with Hauser in the first. She then scored on a sacrifice fly by McIntire with one out showing for a 1-0 lead.
Concordia knotted the game at 1-all in the top of the third on a single by Shania Phillips and then on an error. The Lions quickly regained the lead with Gozzard's RBI double to left center to score Angela Sullivan (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon).
Behrend got its three final runs in the sixth. McIntire followed two singles with a home run to left center to score Gozzard and herself. Kargol then got her double to send home AJ Nichols (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler).
The Cougars smacked eight hits and only got around once thanks to the pitching from Nichols. She did not allow any earned runs and struck out five.
In game two, Behrend scored two runs in the first off four hits and then one more in the seventh for a 3-1 victory. Carson singled to lead off and Gozzard had an RBI single, before scoring on a Kargol sacrifice fly for the pair of runs.
The third run came in the seventh with another sacrifice fly from Sullivan to score Angela Dale (Clinton, PA/West Allegheny).
Wartburg tallied its only run in the fourth.
The Lions return to action tomorrow against Ursinus and Elizabethtown at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.