Harrison Lilley – Photographer

hjl5363@psu.edu

The Penn State Behrend softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Alfred Saxons on Tuesday, April 18. The Lions won the opener with a close score of 15-14 but fell 5-0 in the second game.

The first game was an intense battle between the two teams, where both teams tallied 13 hits each. Senior catcher Cami McNany registered her 100th career hit with a single in the top of the seventh inning. Key to the win was Jocelyn McNany, who had a career-high of six RBIs with two home runs. McNany hit a two-run homer in the third and another in the eight-run fifth inning. Five different players registered multiple hits, including J. McNany with three and Emi Curcio hit two doubles and a home run in her three hits.

The Lions trailed 5-2 heading into the top of the fifth inning. Behrend got eight runs on five hits in the fifth inning to take the lead for good. After the 8-run inning by Behrend, Alfred trailed 15-8 heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Saxons scored six runs in the final frame but fell one short of forcing an extra inning. Kayla Lindberg allowed three hits and one earned run in 4.2 innings of work for her sixth win of the season.

The second game saw Alfred’s pitcher Megan Bennett throw a seven-hit shutout, striking out six to help the Saxons split. Sierra Williams went 3-for-3 for the Lions but could not do much to help the team. Kaitlyn Ezzone pitched the first inning, giving up four runs on five hits for the loss. Alfred scored four runs in the first inning and added another run in the third for the only scoring of the game. In the Saxons’ 10 hits, they had five extra-base hits including three doubles, a triple and a home run.

Penn State Behrend had a mixed result in their doubleheader against Alfred. While they won the first game, they were unable to build on the momentum and lost the second game. The first game was a thrilling contest that saw both teams piling up 13 hits each. Jocelyn McNany was the standout player in the first game, with six RBIs, while Cami McNany registered her 100th career hit with a single in the top of the seventh inning. 

However, despite the win, the second game exposed their weaknesses, with Alfred’s pitcher Megan Bennett shutting them out and limiting them to just seven hits. Kaitlyn Ezzone pitched the first inning for the Lions in the second game, but gave up four runs on five hits for the loss. Despite the disappointing result in the second game, the Lions will look to bounce back in their next matches and build on their successful season.