NCAA Tournament: Rowan 2, Penn State Behrend 0
No. 12 Rowan scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs to defeat Penn State Behrend 2-0 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament on Friday afternoon held at Alfred University.
Rowan's Beth Ann Hyland and Allison Nolan combined to throw a five-hit shut out. Hyland picked up the win and struck out eight along the way. Alyssa Sims hit the eventual game-winning RBI single to center to plate two runners with bases loaded for the only two runs of the game.
Lion freshman Sarah Blagg had two hits, while freshman Alexa Bupp and senior Leah Griffin belted a double for the Lions. The two singles in the fourth inning were the only hits the Profs managed off Behrend starter sophomore Rachel Miller, who went six innings and struck out two.
In the fourth, Morgan Smith walked leading off and pinch runner Rosalie Hood moved to second on a groundout. One out later, pinch hitter Sara Finnegan was hit by a pitch to put runners and first and second. Pinchhitter Amanda Toomer singled to load the bases before Sims plated Hood and Finnegan with a single to center for a 2-0 lead.
Behrend returns to action tomorrow against Lebanon Valley at 1:30 p.m. in the elimination game.
ECAC Tournament: Penn State Altoona 6, Stevenson University 0
No. 5 Penn State Altoona blanked No. 4 Stevenson University 6-0 in the quarterfinal round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III South Region Tournament at Weinburg-Fine Stadium.
Senior Raychel DeArmitt pitched a complete game shutout for Penn State Altoona, tossing seven innings and allowing just three hits and three walks. With her performance, DeArmitt set a pair of softball program single season records by reaching 17 wins and 159 2/3 innings pitched.
Penn State Altoona used the long ball to grab an early lead. Senior Kelly Chambers' two-out solo shot to left field in the top of the first inning represented her 13th homer of the season and put the Lady Lions up 1-0. In the second, freshman Ashley Struble led off the frame with a home run to right-center to make it 2-0. The Lady Lions added four runs to their total in the sixth. Junior Clarissa Keller scored on a wild pitch before Struble’s three-run home run to left-center, her third homer of the season, made it 6-0.
With the victory, the Lady Lions advance to the semifinal round of the ECAC Tournament, which becomes double-elimination for the remainder of the bracket. Penn State Altoona will travel to Bethany College to face the top-seeded hosts this Saturday, May 9. The start time for that game is set for 10:00 AM.