Softball Secures Playoff Spot With Split

ERIE, Pa. – Stacey Herzog (Smethport, PA/Smethport) went 6-for-8 with three runs, three RBIs, and two doubles to help Penn State Behrend split an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) softball doubleheader with Pitt-Greensburg on Saturday.

The Lions (15-19, 9-9 AMCC) dropped the opener 6-5 and then won game two 7-3 to secure the sixth seed for the upcoming AMCC Tournament. Behrend won the tiebreaker over Medaille to earn the final spot and will face No. 3 Pitt-Bradford on Friday at host Penn State Altoona, beginning at 10 a.m.

Herzog had a double in each game, while going 3-for-4 in the nightcap. Defensively on the day, Herzog also caught two runners stealing and picked off another.

In game one, the Lions registered four out of their eight hits in the bottom of the seventh to score four runs but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit. Despite getting the loss in the circle, Julie Heinl (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) tied the program record for complete games with 68. All six runs were earned and the senior struck out seven batters.

The Bobcats (20-13, 12-6 AMCC) took a 3-0 lead after the first and extended it to 6-1 after the fifth.

Leah Griffin (Conneaut Valley, PA/Linesville) started off the bottom of the seventh for Behrend with a single and advanced to second on Heinl's sacrifice bunt. After the second out, the Lions bats caught on fire.

Kelsey Fuller (Albion, PA/Northwestern) singled to shortstop and Kelly Hedderick (Waterford, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) reached on an error to score Griffin. Herzog's at bat drew a double to left field to send in two more runs.  Callie Markovich (Edinboro, PA/Northwestern) singled to right field to plate Herzog, but Behrend was stopped there.

Katie Kirik (Union City, PA/Union City) matched Herzog in game two with three hits in four at bats and scoring two runs.

Behrend and Pitt-Greensburg had the same scoring through three innings with two runs in the first and another in the third. As a team, the Lions had 14 hits and got five in the three-run fourth inning to take the lead for good.

With two outs, Kirik singled to left field and scored after Fuller's single to center field followed by an error in the same play. Hedderick knocked in Fuller with a single for a 6-3 lead. Herzog scored Hedderick with a hit to short stop.

Behrend added an insurance run in the fifth and Fuller got win number seven on the mound to secure the needed victory to earn a spot into the conference playoffs.