Softball Defeats Hilbert

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team recorded their fourth straight win with 8-0 (six innings) and 12-1 (five innings) wins over Hilbert in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Friday afternoon.

Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) and Amanda Krolczyk (Union City, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) combined for the shut-out victory in game one, while Alexa Bupp (Warren, PA/Warren) had a perfect game going until the fourth inning and struck out seven in the nightcap for the win.

In game two, the Lions (17-13, 13-3 AMCC) went through the entire batting order and scored nine runs on six hits to take a commanding lead in the bottom of the first. Allania Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) was the only one with two hits in the inning, getting a single and then smacking a home run the second time around to knock in three runs.

Behrend would add three more runs in the fourth. Banta walked and McDonnell hit a home run for the first two runs and Bupp tripled before scoring on Leah Griffin's (Springboro, PA/Conneaut Valley) single to right field.

The Hawks (2-26, 0-16 AMCC) pushed across a run in the top of the fourth.

In the opener, Banta went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Banta recorded a double and triple in game one. Her double to right field put Blagg in scoring position before scoring on a ground out by Krolczyk.  The Lions got two more runs in the third on a Julia Luke (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) single up the middle for a 4-0 lead.

Behrend scored in the next three innings. With a run in the fourth and one in the fifth, the final two runs finished the game in the bottom of the sixth.  Banta singled through the left side to score Blagg and then scored with a bases loaded walk to end the game.

The Lions return to action tomorrow for their final regular-season home doubleheader against Mt. Aloysius, beginning at 1 p.m.