Lions Split Twinbill with Mounties
by McKenzie Quirin
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona softball team returned home on Tuesday after competing on the road since April 16, and the Lions split a doubleheader with Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Mount Aloysius College at Stewart Athletic Field.
Mount Aloysius College (13-11, 7-5 AMCC) pulled out a 1-0 shutout win in game one, before being edged 2-1 by Penn State Altoona (14-15, 7-7 AMCC) in game two.
Game One: Mount Aloysius 1, Penn State Altoona 0
Penn State Altoona found itself in a scoreless game entering in the seventh inning, but Mount Aloysius prevailed by scoring the go-ahead run in the top of seventh.
Hanna Lauck (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) went 1-for-2, and Brooke Colledge (Everett, PA/Everett) and Gianna Hoppel (Lewistown, PA/Mifflin County) were both 1-for-3 for the Lions.
Josselyn Nau (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) took the loss in the pitching circle in a complete-game effort. In seven innings, Nau limited Mt. Aloysius to just one earned run while allowing five hits and no walks. She also struck out four batters.
Through six innings, there were little to no scoring opportunities for both Penn State Altoona and Mt. Aloysius, as the two teams combined for just four hits entering the last inning.
The top of the seventh inning saw the Mounties come to life, as they squeaked in a run on three hits during the inning. Bella Piacesi flew out to center field for a sacrifice fly, which allowed Maggie Cypher to run home from third to give Mt. Aloysius a 1-0 lead.
Penn State Altoona put the potential tying run on base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, when Hoppel reached on a single to right. But Mt. Aloysius recorded the final out to clinch a victory in game one.
Game Two: Penn State Altoona 2, Mount Aloysius 1
Penn State Altoona established an early lead, getting two runs across in the first inning. Despite Mount Aloysius getting a run in the top of the fourth, the Lions' lead held up and Penn State Altoona secured the win in game two.
Lauck went 1-for-3 at the plate for the Lions with her first collegiate home run and two RBI. Colledge was 1-for-3 with a run scored, and Alyssa Fisher (Lock Haven, PA/Central Mountain) and Hoppel both went 1-for-3 in the game.
Cameryn Feathers (Martinsburg, PA/Central) finished 1-for-2 with a walk. Madalyn Maynard (Towanda, PA/Towanda) and Karli Storm (Chest Springs, PA/Cambria Heights) each walked once, with Storm also stealing a base.
Maynard grabbed her fourth win of the season in the pitching circle in a complete-game effort. In seven innings, Maynard limited Mt. Aloysius to just one earned run while allowing nine hits and three walks. She also struck out two batters.
Penn State Altoona scored two runs in the bottom of the first. With one out, Colledge reached base on a single down the left-field line. One out later, Lauck drove a pitch over the left-center field fence to give the Lions a 2-0 advantage.
Not a lot of action occurred during innings two and three, but Mt. Aloysius managed to get a run in the top of the fourth inning. On the play that cut Penn State Altoona's lead in half, Grace Gardini singled to second base, which allowed Kendra Gardner to score from third to bring the Mounties to within one, 2-1.
But Maynard and the Lions put down any further scoring opportunities for Mt. Aloysius the rest of the way, forcing the Mounties to strand five base runners over the remainder of the game and help Penn State Altoona seal a game-two win.
Next up, Penn State Altoona softball returns to the road as they set out to take on non-conference opponent Juniata College in a doubleheader matchup on Thursday, April 25, at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
