MORRISTOWN, N.J. - Clutch hits up and down the lineup powered Penn State Harrisburg's softball team to a doubleheader sweep of conference foe Saint Elizabeth on Tuesday afternoon, with both victories coming in extra innings to extend the recent win streak to nine in a row. The Lions twice erased late deficits to take the opener 5-4 and the nightcap 7-5, both in eight innings. 


Game one saw Penn State Harrisburg (16-8, 6-2 United East) come through with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, beginning with Madelyn Lehigh's lead-off single up the middle that scored Mackenzie Fisher from second base before Aspen Walker's double down the right field line brought Lehigh around to make it 5-3. The Eagles (14-15, 4-3 United East) got one back with a two-out RBI single in the bottom half but Kylee Miller used the 143rd pitch she threw to complete the game-ending strikeout, strand the go-ahead runs at second and third, and seal her seventh win of the spring. 


Madisen Minney opened the scoring when she plated on a throwing error following a triple to center field in the top of the first and Cara Biesecker doubled the advantage when her RBI single down the left field line drove in Olivia Herncane in the top of the second. 


Saint Elizabeth tied things up with a pair of runs in the bottom half and eventually pulled ahead with another in the third but the visitors answered back in the top of the fourth when Ava Allison's two-out triple to left center field scored Sierra Sims from first and tied things up. Miller retired the Eagles in order in the sixth and seventh frames to set up the team's first extra-inning heroics of the day.


The second contest saw the Lions (17-8, 7-2 United East) forced to overcome an early multi-run deficit, as the home team put up three runs in the bottom of the first frame. Penn State Harrisburg would work some two-out magic throughout the nightcap, however, beginning with a two-out double from Fisher that scored Aleisa Rowe and a Lehigh triple to center field that drove in Kierstyn Smith and Fisher to tie things up in the second. 


The Eagles used a one-out RBI double to reclaim the lead in the fourth and the visitors wouldn't threaten again until the top of the seventh when they loaded the bases with no outs. After Saint Elizabeth used a fielder's choice and a strikeout to put two away without surrendering the tying run, Sims came through with a clutch single to shallow center field that scored Minney and tied things at 4-4. 


Kierstyn Smith worked out of a jam in the home half of the seventh when she stranded runners at second and third to keep the game tied and force extras for the second time. In the top of the eighth, Fisher laid down a perfectly-placed bunt, forcing a throwing error that allowed two runs to score. Walker tacked on an insurance run later in the stanza with a ground ball that plated Fisher and pushed the lead to three. 


The home team plated one run in the bottom of the eighth but Smith stranded the potential tying runs by inducing an fly ball and a fielder's choice to end the game and clinch the doubleheader sweep just minutes before sunset.


NOTABLES
- With the pair of wins, Penn State Harrisburg extended its recent win streak to nine in a row.
- Minney was 2-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a run scored in game one.
- Walker went 1-for-2 with an RBI double in the nightcap.
- Miller earned her second eight-inning, complete-game win of the season, throwing 143 pitches and tallying five strikeouts.
- Lehigh finished 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs in game two.
- Fisher went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in the nightcap.
- Sims also had a multi-hit second game and drove in a run.
- Rowe scored a pair of runs in the final contest. 
- Smith picked up the game-two win after throwing 7.1 innings and allowing just one earned run.


WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions have a short turnaround as they travel to Lancaster Bible for another conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. 


STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Facebook, X and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.