ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team picked up a pair of non-conference wins, posting a 7-2 game-one victory and a 6-1 decision in the nightcap to defeat Thiel on Wednesday afternoon.
In the opener, nine different players tallied a hit for the Lions (7-9) while the team had a big third inning with five runs on five hits for the win. Madison Zimmer (Carnegie, PA/Chartiers Valley) collected her first collegiate win in the circle and went 2-for-3 in game two.
Junior Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) did not allow a run or hit through five innings in game one. She made it her fourth win, giving up two earned runs on two hits.
Behrend got on the board in the bottom of the second for a 2-0 lead. Katie Gozzard (Pittsburgh, PA/Deer Lakes) walked and Kelsey Heinrich (Brookville, PA/Brookville) got on base with a single. With two outs, Sarah Blagg (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) doubled to left field to bring Gozzard and Heinrich home.
In next frame, the Lions exploded for five runs to take a commanding 7-0 lead. With three runs already scored and bases loaded with one out, Allania Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) drove one up the middle for a two-RBI single to complete the inning.
The Tomcats (7-13) tallied two hits and got a pair of runs in the top of the sixth for the final 7-2 margin.
Alexa Bupp (Warren, PA/Warren) made an appearance in the final inning for Behrend, striking out two of the four batters she faced.
In game two, the Lions spread 13 hits over six innings for six runs for the sweep over Thiel. Carson Hauser (Westfield, NY/Westfield Academy) went 2-for-3 while Blagg, Julia Luke (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) and Alli Kaliszewski (Erie, PA/Iroquois) each smacked a double.
Behrend scored a run in every inning except the third inning. Through five innings, the Lions held a 4-0 lead and Zimmer had only given up one hit in the top of the first. In the sixth, Hauser singled to third and stole second. Blagg scored Hauser with a double to left field. Banta singled for two runners on. Shannon McDonnell (Fayston, VT/Harwood Union), who tripled in game one, drove in Blagg to make it 6-0.
The Tomcats avoided the shutout with a run in the seventh.
Behrend returns to action tomorrow against Hilbert at D'Youville. The first game begins at 6 p.m.
