HAMBURG, NY – The Penn State Behrend softball team defeated Hilbert 10-1 (six innings) and 11-4 in an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lions (15-11, 7-1 AMCC) have swept the Hawks (9-13, 2-6 AMCC) for the fourth straight season to record their ninth consecutive win.
Behrend used 13 hits to score 10 runs in game one to force the eight-run rule in the sixth inning. Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East), only needing one strikeout to move into second place on the all-time list, fanned four batters today to take sole possession with 282 career strikeouts. She allowed five hits and no earned runs for her seventh win in the circle.
Allania Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) and Kristen Kargol (Saegertown, PA/Cambridge Springs) each tallied two hits and smacked a home run in the opener, while Carson Hauser (Westfield, NY/Westfield Academy) went 3-for-4 with two runs.
Banta hit her second home run in as many days, beginning the first inning with a lead-off homer to left field. Hauser singled up the middle and scored on a single by Alexa Bupp (Warren, PA/Warren) for a 2-0 lead.
The Lions went ahead 7-0 after the third inning. Five more runs were recorded on four hits, including the long ball from Kargol to left center to also score Katie Gozzard (Pittsburgh, PA/Deer Lakes).
Hilbert scored its run in the fifth and Behrend added three more runs in the top of the sixth for a 10-1 final.
Banta followed up that performance in game one, going 3-for-5 and four RBI in game two. Jillian Williams (Corry, PA/Corry) pitched to her first win, giving up nine hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts.
The Lions tallied half their hits of the game in the first inning alone. Out of the eight hits, three were extra base ending with AJ Nichols' (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) triple to score Banta for the ninth run of the opening frame.
Behrend made it 10-0 with a run in the third, but the Hawks avoided ending the game in the fifth with three runs in the fourth. Each team tallied one more run in the next three innings for an 11-4 final.
Nichols finished with three hits and pitched the final inning, striking out one.
The Lions return to action on Saturday against Mt. Aloysius. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.
