Nebraska Wesleyan Takes Two From Lions

CLERMONT, FL – The Nebraska Wesleyan softball team defeated Penn State Behrend 3-2 in eight innings and 6-2 in game two in non-conference doubleheader on day three of spring break in Clermont, Florida.

With opener tied at 1-all, Maddy Ethen knocked in the first run of the eighth inning and then scored the game winner on a single by Destiny Indra for a 3-2 victory. The Lions (1-5) scored one run in the seventh to tie it, before getting a run in the eighth and putting the pressure on the Prairie Wolves in the last frame.

The Prairie Wolves, who added one run in the third to take the initial lead, registered two runs in the eighth including the game winner with two outs showing for a 1-0 lead in the series.

Behrend tallied two hits in the third and then got on the board in the seventh. AJ Nichols (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) got on base after being hit by a pitch and advanced with a single by Katie Gozzard (Pittsburgh, PA/Deer Lakes) before scoring on an error. The Lions took a quick lead in the eighth, but Nebraska Wesleyan relied on the heroics by Ethen for the win.

The Prairie Wolves scored six runs on eight hits for a 6-2 victory in game two. Behrend managed three hits for two runs, all scored in the fourth inning.

Shannon McDonnell (Fayston, VT/Harwood Union) tallied an RBI triple in the fourth to score Nichols and then came home on a ground out by Alexa Bupp (Warren, PA/Warren). Nichols tallied a hit in the fifth for the Lions.

Nebraska Wesleyan earned two runs in the first, three in the third off four hits and one more in the fifth to complete the scoring.

Jillian Williams (Corry, PA/Corry) started in the circle to record the loss in game two, while Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) pitched seven innings, before making way for Bupp in the final inning.

Behrend returns to action on Thursday against Alvernia and Moravian at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., respectively.