ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend softball team finished runners up in the 2019 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships on Saturday afternoon. The No. 1 Lions defeated No. 4 Albright 2-0 in the semifinals before falling to reigning champions Pfeiffer, 9-1.

Semifinals
Scores: Penn State Behrend 2, Albright 0
Records: Penn State Behrend (28-11), Albright (25-18)

Key Moments

* Starter AJ Nichols (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) pitched a two-hit shutout in the opener
* Nichols struck out six and only walked two, improving to 18-3 this season
* Six different players tallied hits for the Lions
* Behrend struck in the first inning for a 1-0 lead
* Carson Hauser (Westfield, NY/Westfield Academy) led off with a hit up the middle and Alayna Derzak (Seven Fields, PA/Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic) drove her in with a single to right center
* After a three and out in the fifth, the Lions added another run in the bottom of the frame
* Angela Dale (Clinton, PA/West Allegheny) singled to start the fifth and then scored on a Nichols single to right field for a 2-0 edge
* Nichols did not allow a hit in the final three innings to get the shutout victory

Championship (Five Innings)
Scores: Pfeiffer 9, Penn State Behrend 1
Records: Penn State Behrend (28-12), Pfeiffer (36-7)

* The Falcons broke up a scoreless game in the top of the fourth with eight runs on five hits
* Mackenzie Pennell smacked a two run homer while Pfeiffer took advantage off three Behrend errors
* The Lions showed signs of life with a run in the fourth
* Nichols doubled to right center and came home on Kylee Bundy's (DuBois, PA/DuBois) fielder's choice
* Nichols started once again in the circle, throwing 3.1 innings and allowing three earned runs for the loss

Noteworthy:

* Hauser and Nichols were both named to the All-Tournament Team.