ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team split an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with Penn State Altoona, winning game one 2-1 in 10 innings and then falling 6-1 in the nightcap on Sunday afternoon.
Shannon McDonnell (Fayston, VT/Harwood Union) hit an RBI double to right center to score Sarah Blagg (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) in the top of the 10th inning to help the Lions (9-9, 5-1 AMCC) defeat the reigning AMCC Champions. Alexa Bupp (Warren, PA/Warren) tallied two hits, including a triple, while Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) earned the win in the circle in the complete-game victory pitching all 10 innings and striking out three.
Altoona scored first in the third inning after Clarissa Keller doubled and then touched home on a single to left field by Collen Meehan for a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Miller walked and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Blagg. Miller then scored on an error to knot the game at 1-all.
After four scoreless innings, Behrend tallied the final run of the game in the top of the 10th for the win to hand the Altoona Lions their first AMCC loss of the season.
The Altoona Lions avenged the one-run loss in game two. Altoona scored six runs on eight hits, scoring four in the second inning to then hand the Behrend Lions their first conference loss.
Behrend tacked on its run in the sixth inning. Blagg tripled to start the frame and then Allania Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) flied out to center field for the sacrifice and run by Blagg to make it 6-1.
Raychel DeArmitt was the winning pitcher for Altoona and Bupp suffered the loss in the circle, pitching four innings and striking out three while giving up three earned runs.
The Lions return to action on Tuesday at home against Thiel. The doubleheader begins at 3:30 p.m.
