FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Penn State Altoona softball team opened its 2024 schedule with a loss on Wednesday evening at the Lee County Sports Complex, as the Lions fell 5-4 to Bethany College in their first day in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.

Bethany (7-0) broke a scoreless tie in the third inning, when the Bison scored all five of their runs. Penn State Altoona (0-1) chipped away at its deficit over the final four innings, narrowing Bethany's lead to one in the seventh. But the Lions' comeback attempt fell short, as the Bison escaped with a one-run victory.

Penn State Altoona's first scheduled game of the day, a matchup with Rockford University, was cancelled due to rain.

Cameryn Feathers (Martinsburg, PA/Central) led Penn State Altoona's bats against Bethany with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring one run and driving one in. Karli Storm (Chest Springs, PA/Cambria Heights) went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a walk, and Hanna Lauck (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Madalyn Maynard (Towanda, PA/Towanda) had a double and an RBI, and Brooke Colledge (Everett, PA/Everett) had a triple, an RBI, and a run scored.

Alyssa Fisher (Lock Haven, PA/Central Mountain) got the start in the pitching circle for Penn State Altoona and was saddled with the loss, going three innings and striking out a pair along the way. Brianna Bone (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) tossed three scoreless innings in relief with two walks and a strikeout, and Maynard pitched a scoreless seventh with one strikeout.

With the game scoreless going into the third, the Bison got five runs across in the top half of the inning. Haley Eyler drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the game's first run, and a Brooke Markland two-run single made it 3-0. Mary Marshall followed with another two RBI base hit, and Bethany took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the inning.

Penn State Altoona scored its first run in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Feathers reached on a base hit and scored on Storm's double.

The Lions picked up another run in the fifth. Madison Sitarek (Sykesville, MD/Century) and Fisher started things off with back-to-back singles, then both advanced on a Gianna Hoppel (Lewistown, PA/Mifflin County) sacrifice bunt. Colledge grounded out to shortstop to plate Sitarek, making it 5-2.

Penn State Altoona got another run in the sixth, when Lauck singled and scored on Maynard's two-out double to cut the Bethany lead to 5-3.

The Lions made it a one-run game in the seventh and threatened to tie the score. With two outs, Colledge tripled, and Feathers followed with an RBI single to trim the Bison advantage to 5-4. Next came Storm, who singled to move Feathers into scoring position. But Bethany got a groundout to end the game and stifle Penn State Altoona's comeback hopes.

Penn State Altoona softball returns to action tomorrow, Thursday, March 7, facing Clark University at 9 a.m. and Bethany at 11 a.m. Those games will be played at Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers.