MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's softball team secured a valuable doubleheader sweep of United East foe Wilson at Courtney Pollock Memorial Field on Wednesday afternoon, April 9. The Lions held off the Phoenix in a 4-3 victory in game one before rolling to a 6-1 win in the nightcap.


The Lions (4-2) racked up four doubles in the opener, with Madelyn Lehigh, Madisen Minney, Sierra Sims and Ashley Elefante all coming through with two-baggers, while Kylee Miller earned her fifth win of the spring inside the circle, allowing just three runs on five hits and striking out four batters.


Penn State Harrisburg wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Mackenzie Fisher led off the bottom of the first with a walk before Lehigh hit the day's first double to left field. Minney's RBI groundout drove in Fisher and Rylee Martinez doubled the advantage with a single to left field that plated Lehigh.


Minney led off the bottom of the third with a double down the left field line, Martinez followed with a walk and Olivia Herncane moved them along with a sacrifice bunt. Sims smoked a double to right center field to score them both and increase the lead to four after three stanzas.


The Phoenix (14-8, 3-2 United East) got one back in the top of the fourth and pulled to within one thanks to a two-run fifth inning. Miller responded by retiring the visitors in order in the sixth and stranding the tying run at second base in the top of the seventh.


Game two was all Penn State Harrisburg (13-8, 5-2 United East), as the home team raced out to another early lead and never looked back. Carissa Yeager was excellent inside the circle, allowing just one run on three hits in a complete-game victory. Fisher was 4-for-4, while Lehigh and Martinez each had multi-hit games.


The Lions struck first when a Martinez lineout to center field allowed Fisher to tag up and score from third base. Herncane followed it up with a two-out single down the left field line that drove in Lehigh and doubled the advantage after one. Penn State Harrisburg tacked on another in the second when Lehigh singled through the right side with two away and scored Ashley Elefante in the process.


Yeager retired the Phoenix (14-9, 3-3 United East) in order in the third and fourth, respectively, and the Lions used four hits and a walk to plate three more in the bottom of the fourth. A Minney single through the right side plated Cara Biesecker and Fisher before a Martinez infield single drove in Lehigh to make it 6-0 through four.


Yeager put together another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth and worked around a Wilson double in the sixth. The Phoenix finally got on the board with a single run in the seventh but Yeager induced two straight ground balls and a flyout to seal the win and complete the doubleheader sweep.


NOTABLES
- As a group, the Lions doubled four times in the first contest.
- Sims doubled and drove in a pair of runs in the opener and added another double in game two.
- Miller earned her fifth win of the season in game one, throwing a complete game, allowing just three runs on five hits and striking out four.  
- Yeager was stellar in game two, earning the complete-game win after allowing just one run on three hits. She struck out three and recorded four 1-2-3 innings.
- Fisher was 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base in the nightcap.
- Lehigh finished 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI in the second contest.
- Martinez went 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBIs in the final game.
- Minney drove in a pair of runs and swiped a bag in the second outing.


WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions host conference foe Keystone for a single game on Thursday afternoon. The contest is being made up after last week's United East doubleheader was cut short due to weather.


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