Softball Splits With Washington & Jefferson

ERIE, Pa. – Junior Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) came in as a pinch runner and scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning of game two to lead Penn State Behrend past W&J 5-4 in non-conference softball action on Sunday.

The Lions (12-10) split with the Presidents (10-14), falling in game one 3-2. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Meghan Staab hit an inside the park home run to the corner of right field to break a 2-all tie and give W&J the opening victory.

Behrend erased a 4-1 deficit in the seventh inning with four straight hits to start the frame, including two doubles and two singles to knot the game at 4-all.

Kelsey Heinrich (Brookville, PA/Brookville), who went 3-for-3 in this game, led with a bunt single. Sarah Blagg (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) doubled to left center to scored Heinrich and then she scored on a two-bagger by Allaina Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf). Banta tallied the final run thanks to a single down left-field line by AJ Nichols (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler).

The Presidents had a double in the top of the eighth but could not produce any other offense. In the bottom of the frame, Madison Zimmer (Carnegie, PA/Chartiers Valley) hit one in the gap to get on and Miller came in to pinch run. Pinch hitter Angela Sullivan (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon) hit a bunt single in the right spot and between the pitch and first base to get two runners on.

Carson Hauser (Westfield, NY/Westfield Academy) tallied the second straight bunt single, sending Miller to third and the throw from the pitcher to get the force out went high to get Miller home on the error for the game winner.

Nichols came in to pitch the final two innings and earned the win in the circle. Zimmer started and pitched the first six innings, striking out three and giving up five hits.

In game one, both team scored early and then posted four scoreless innings until the top of the seventh. Behrend scored two runs in the bottom of the first and the Presidents answered in the second with a pair of runs to knot the game at 2-all.

W&J used three hits and the heroics of Staab to go ahead 4-3 and hold on for the game-one victory. Miller went 2-for-3 from the plate and also faced 18 batters in the circle in four innings pitched. Alexa Bupp (Warren, PA/Warren) hurled the final three innings and picked up the loss while striking out four.

Banta and Nichols also had two hits in the opener.

The Lions return to action on Tuesday against Pitt-Bradford. Game times are 3 and 5 p.m.