ERIE, Pa. – Stacey Herzog (Smethport, PA/Smethport) hit a walk-off single down left-field line to score Kelsey Fuller (Albion, PA/Northwestern) in the bottom of the ninth and defeat Penn State Altoona 7-6 in the nightcap of an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) doubleheader on Saturday.
The Altoona Lions (9-5, 2-2 AMCC) were able to get the split, winning game one, 6-5.
Herzog went 4-for-5 in game two, including a double and a triple. Her three bagger started off the bottom of the seventh inning but the Lions (7-11, 3-3 AMCC) were unable to turn that into a run. Luckily, Herzog saved her best hit for last, getting the game winner in extra innings.
Fuller not only scored the game winning run, but she also had three hits and two RBIs. Julie Heinl (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) got the victory in the circle after coming in the bottom of the eighth as a pinch runner and then pitching in the ninth, only allowing one hit. Kelly Hedderick (Waterford, PA/Mercyhurst) did the work in the first eight.
Behrend had a big five-run second inning in the second game for the early lead. The Lions scored three out of the five runs with two outs. Fuller had a two RBI single, while Kayla Frawley (Cranberry, PA/Cranberry) and Sydney Sherrieb (Washington, PA/Trinity) also had RBI singles in the frame.
Altoona got three runs in the third and two more in the fourth to get within one at 6-5.
Fuller had a defensive stop in the sixth inning with one out and runners on second and third followed by the third out thanks to the glove of Leah Griffin (Springboro, PA/Conneaut Valley) to help the Lions keep their lead.
Altoona made the same stop in the bottom of the frame and then tied the game with a run off two hits in the seventh.
It took two more innings for Behrend to rely on the heroics of Herzog for the win.
In both games, the Behrend Lions surrendered the lead with two outs in the seventh inning unfortunately letting game one slip away.
Behrend went ahead 4-0 in the first, but Altoona closed the game with two runs in the second and one in the sixth before the rally in the seventh. Hedderick hit her first collegiate home run over the left field fence to score the only run in the third inning.
With bases loaded in the final inning and two outs, Lily Glunt stepped to the plate for the first time on the day as a pinch hitter and blasted an RBI single up the middle to send in Brittany Smith and Jessica Smith for the Lions their first lead and the win.
Heinl went the distance in game one, striking out two and giving up four earned runs for the loss.
The Lions return to action tomorrow at Hilbert. The AMCC doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.
