Softball Edged By Westminster

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team dropped a close pair of non-conference games to Westminster, falling 4-1 in the opener and 4-3 in the second game on Tuesday afternoon.

The Titans (11-9) had seven players with one hit in game one, including a two RBI double in the first by Layne Carpenter and another in the third by Chelsea Brown for a 4-1 lead.

The Lions (7-15) got their lone run in the third. Leah Griffin (Springboro, PA/Conneaut Valley) singled to center field and was knocked in on Sydney Sherrieb's (Washington, PA/Trinity) fielder's choice combined with an error by Westminster.   

Julie Heinl (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) batted 2-for-3 but also gave up five hits and four earned run for the loss, while Brown was the winning pitcher for the Lions after going four innings and allowing five hits with eight strikeouts.

Behrend grabbed a 2-0 lead out of the gate in game two. Stacey Herzog (Smethport, PA/Smethport) hit a doubled to left center to score Kelly Hedderick (Waterford, PA/Mercyhurst) and Kelsey Fuller (Albion, PA/Northwestern), who singled to get on base.

The Titans got their first three runs on four hits in the fourth inning to take a 3-2 edge. Westminster added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, but that insurance run turned into the eventual game winner. The Lions tallied a run in the seventh with two outs and the Titans defense got the third out to avoid batting in the bottom of the frame.

Fuller pitched four innings and gave up two earned runs on the hill for Behrend in the nightcap.

The Lions return to action on Thursday against Geneva. The doubleheader starts at 3:30 p.m.