Behrend Softball Extends Win Streak Against Pitt-Bradford; Lions Sweep AMCC Opener

ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team opened Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) play with a pair of wins over Pitt-Bradford on Thursday. The Lions extend their win streak against the Panthers to 12 straight games.  

Game One: Penn State Behrend 12, Pitt-Bradford 4 (5)
Records: Penn State Behrend (6-11, 1-0 AMCC), Pitt-Bradford (4-15, 0-1 AMCC)

Key Moments:

* The Lions scored in every inning except the fourth
* Behrend started with four runs in the first and ended with four in the bottom of the fifth to halt the game due to the eight-run rule
* Sierra Williams (Grove City, PA/Lakeview) went 2-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs
* Hannah Smith (Harborcreek, PA/Harbor Creek) was 2-for-2 with a triple and an RBI
* Abby Tingley (Union City, PA/Union City) earned her third win in the circle and put herself seven strikeouts away from 200 career K's
* Williams registered two two-out doubles and scored two runs each time, once in the first inning and again in the fifth
* With an 8-4 lead to start the fifth inning, Smith led off with a triple and scored on a throwing error
* Isabel Pozar (Flagstaff, AZ/Coconino) reached on that error and Jocelyn McNany (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) walked and advanced a base on the second out
* Chloe Nale (Aliquippa, PA/Hopewell) singled to score Pozar and Williams' double ended the game
* Pitt-Bradford managed 12 hits but could only plate four runs

Game Two: Penn State Behrend 5, Pitt-Bradford 2
Records: Penn State Behrend (7-11, 2-0 AMCC), Pitt-Bradford (4-16, 0-2 AMCC) 

Key Moments:

* Lauren Rabanal (San Diego, CA/Westview) threw her first complete game of the season for the win, allowing two runs on seven hits
* McNany went 3-for-4 with two runs scored an a double
* McNany was instrumental in each of the three innings Behrend plated runs
* In the first, Pozar reached on an error and McNany sent her home with a double to left field
* Athena Iverson (Pittsburgh, PA/The Ellis School) drove in McNany for a 2-0 lead
* McNany had an RBI single in the second for a three-run advantage
* In the third, Rabanal used three pitches to retire three batters to keep the 3-0 lead
* The Panthers returned the favor in the bottom of the fourth, going 1-2-3 on the Lions for the first time in the doubleheader
* Sara Stroup hit her AMCC-leading sixth home run in the fourth and then tallied an RBI single in the fifth to cut the lead to 3-2
* Behrend recorded two more runs on three hits in the fifth to take the lead for good
* Pitt-Bradford left bases loaded in the top of the sixth, trailing by three runs
* Rabanal and the defense held on in the seventh, giving up one hit to complete the sweep

Up Next:

* The Lions return to action on Tuesday at Hilbert for an AMCC doubleheader. Games are at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.