Softball Blanks Bradford; Fall in Opener

BRADFORD, Pa. – Penn State Behrend and Pitt-Bradford softball teams remained tied in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) after splitting a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon. The Panthers edged the Lions 10-8 in game one and Behrend blanked Pitt-Bradford 12-0 in five innings in the nightcap.

Kelly Hedderick (Waterford, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) continued her home-run streak, smacking three on the day and two in game two, including a grand slam to record 11 RBIs total. Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) earned the shut-out victory, pitching five innings and only giving up three hits for win number five on the season.

The Lions (10-10, 7-1 AMCC) took a 10-0 lead after three innings in second game. Kelsey Fuller (Albion, PA/Northwestern) started off the first inning with a single to left center and Allaina Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) doubled for two on. Fuller scored on a sacrifice by Amanda Krolczyk (Union City, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) and Maddie Mulig (Shaler, PA/Shaler) put runners on the corners after being hit by a pitch.

With two runners on and one out, Hedderick hit her first home run to make it 4-0.

The second inning was very similar to the first, except this time Behrend had runners on every base for Hedderick to get her the grand slam for a 9-0 advantage.

The next three runs scored by the Lions were all of home runs for a total of five in game two. Miller and Banta smacked their first collegiate home runs. Miller did it in the third, while Banta and Sydney Sherrieb (Washington, PA/Trinity) earned theirs in the top of the fifth for the final margin of 12-0.

Banta finished game one 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs.

In game one, Behrend held an 8-4 lead after the fourth inning but the Panthers plated six runs over the final two innings for the win. The AMCC Player of the Week (Hedderick) and the Pitcher of the Week (Sydney Mosby) squared off for the first time this season. Hedderick hit her fifth home run for her only hit, but Mosby ended up with the win in the circle to improve to 8-2. 

Mulig and Shannon McDonnell (Fayston, VT/Harwood Union) each went 2-for-4 in the opener.  

The Lions got three runs on three hits in the first and Pitt-Bradford came back in the bottom of the second to make it 4-3 for its first lead. In the fourth frame, six hits turned into five runs for Behrend. Mulig, Banta, Sherrieb and Leah Griffin (Springboro, PA/Conneaut Valley) each singled before Hedderick hit a three RBI home run with two outs showing for an 8-4 edge.

The Panthers managed to cut the lead to 8-6 after the fifth and then put together four more runs in the sixth to take go ahead for good.

The Lions return to action on Saturday against Mt. Aloysius. The AMCC doubleheader starts at 1 p.m.