ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team notched two come-from-behind wins over D'Youville on Tuesday afternoon.
The Lions took game one 6-3 despite trailing throughout most of the contest.
Down 2-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, Behrend staged a game-changing rally. After reaching and advancing to second on an error, Leah Griffin (Springboro, PA/Conneaut Valley) scored on Sydney Sherrieb's (Washington, PA/Trinity) RBI single. Kelsey Fuller (Albion, PA/Northwestern) then plated Sherrieb with an RBI single to left. Two batters later, Maddie Mulig (Shaler, PA/Shaler) drilled yet another RBI single, giving the Lions a 3-2 lead.
Kelly Hedderick (Waterford, PA/Mercyhurst Prep) then delivered the game's big blow. The sophomore crushed a two-run homer to left that made it a 5-2 ballgame. It was Hedderick's team-leading eighth long-ball of the season.
Fuller gave Behrend another insurance run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly. The Spartans scored once in the seventh, but it wasn't enough as the Lions went on to win, 6-3.
Hedderick earned the win for Behrend, striking out three in four innings of work.
In game two, the Lions came-from-behind once again for a 7-6 victory. D'Youville struck first, as Mackenzie Kehlenbeck belted a grand slam over the left-field wall to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead after two-and-a-half.
Behrend responded in the bottom of the inning. Fuller ripped an RBI hit, and Amanda Krolczyk (Union City, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) followed with a two-run single which cut the D'Youville lead to 4-3. After D'Youville made it 5-3 in the top of the fourth, Heinrich scored on Griffin's RBI double to once again pull the Lions within a run.
Behrend (14-14, 11-3 AMCC) staged a rally in the bottom of the sixth. Hedderick led off with a single and eventually advanced to third on a fielder's choice and sacrifice bunt. She then scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch. With two outs, Sherrieb came through with a clutch RBI single to give the Lions a 6-5 advantage.
The Spartans (9-13, 6-6 AMCC) tied it in the top of the seventh, meaning that the Lions would need to score in the bottom of the inning to avoid extra innings. Allania Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) reached on an error to lead off the frame and advanced to second on a fielder's choice. With one out and Gracie Wiles (Brookville, PA/Clarion-Limestone) pinch-running for Banta, Mulig and Hedderick each singled, loading the bases.
As daylight dwindled, Shannon McDonnell ripped a walk-off RBI single to center, scoring Wiles to give the Lions the 7-6 win. Krolczyk earned the victory for Behrend, striking out six in four innings of relief work.
The Lions will travel to Medaille for a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 23 beginning at 3 p.m.
