Miller, Nichols Shut Down Pitt-Bradford

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team posted its sixth straight Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) win with a pair of victories over Pitt-Bradford on Tuesday afternoon.

The Lions (14-10, 6-2 AMCC) have now recorded nine wins in their last 10 games by blanking the Panthers (8-24, 2-12) 8-0 in six innings and 5-0 in game two.

Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) moved into fifth place for all-time strikeouts by fanning four batters for 213 career K's. She also allowed just five hits for the six-inning shutout and her sixth win in the circle in the opener.

Sarah Blagg (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs along with her team-leading third home run of the season in game one, while Shannon McDonnell (Fayston, VT/Harwood Union) was 3-for-4 with a pair of extra-base hits and two RBIs in the second contest.

Behrend scored two runs in the first, four in the fifth and two more in the bottom of the sixth for an eight-run rule game one. Blagg's solo homer in the first inning starting the scoring for the Lions. McDonnell got on bae with a single and then scored on Alexa Bupp's (Warren, PA/Warren) triple to right field for a 2-0 lead.

Behrend added four more runs with four hits all with one out. Miller doubled and AJ Nichols (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) tripled in the frame to help the Lions take a 6-0 advantage. In the bottom of the sixth, Allania Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) started with a double, while Angela Sullivan (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon) and Carson Hauser (Westfield, NY/Westfield Academy) each recorded RBI singles to get the final two runs.

In game two, Nichols threw a complete-game shutout and struck out five while giving up just one run for her fifth victory.

Much like the first, Behrend got on the scoreboard early with two runs in the first. Blagg reached on an error and Nichols singled to left field, before both scored on a double to left center by McDonnell.

It was another extra-base hit that gave the Lions another run in the third. Blagg doubled down left-field line to knock in Banta for a 3-0 lead. Behrend added two more runs in the fifth and had the game-winning run on first with bases loaded and one out, but Pitt-Bradford turned the double play to stay alive.

The Lions return to action tomorrow against La Roche for an AMCC doubleheader that begins at 3 p.m.