MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Penn State Harrisburg's softball team closed out its South Carolina spring break trip with a two-game split on Thursday morning, March 12. The Lions were edged 3-2 by Coast Guard in the opener before bouncing back in a big way with a 19-2, five-inning victory over SUNY Canton in their final game of the week.
GAME 1
The Lions (5-2) took a late lead but couldn't hold it as the Bears (5-2) put together a two-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning that proved the difference.
Madisen Minney had a two-hit game, while Emily Cutman and Aspen Walker each drove in a run. Kylee Miller was strong inside the circle, allowing just one earned run on four hits in six innings thrown.
The first four innings belonged to the arms of each team's starting pitcher before the Bears finally broke through with a single run in the bottom of the fourth. For the second time in as many days, Ava Allison showed off her arm in center field when she gunned down Adrian Schmutz at home plate after trying to tag up from third base to end the stanza.
The bats came to life for the Lions in the top of the ensuing inning when Walker's sacrifice fly behind second base allowed Fallon McFadden to tag up from third and score the tying run. Cutman followed it up with a clutch, two-out single up the middle that plated Mackenzie Fisher to give Penn State Harrisburg its first lead.
The deciding blow came in the bottom of the sixth, however, when Coast Guard took advantage of a Penn State Harrisburg error to score a pair of unearned runs and take a lead it wouldn't give up in the final frame.
GAME 2
After suffering a narrow defeat in their first game of the day, the Lions (6-2) responded with an offensive outburst in a game two win over SUNY Canton (0-5).
Penn State Harrisburg set the tone early, scoring five runs in each of the first two frames. Cutman got the scoring started with a double down the left field line that drove in Fisher and Allison, while Sims followed with a sac fly that allowed Walker to tag up from third base. A pair of Canton errors allowed Cutman and McFadden to come across and the Lions had their lead they wouldn't relinquish.
It was more of the same in the second stanza, with Walker driving in Fisher with a base knock and an error resulting in Allison and Walker coming across. Cutman and Sims scored before the inning was through and the lead was stretched to double figures after two.
The third saw the Lions put up another crooked number, pushing six runs across thanks to a couple of bases-loaded walks from Aleisa Rowe and Anne Carter before Rylee Martinez tripled down the left field line and cleared the bases. Penn State Harrisburg added three more runs in the fourth and Anne Carter retired Canton in order to end the fifth and close out the game early.
NOTABLES
- Miller was stellar inside the circle in the opener, throwing just 80 pitches and surrendering just one earned run on four hits.
- Minney was the lone player to have a multi-hit outing in game one.
- Cutman and Carter drove in two runs each in the second outing.
- Martinez had a two-hit game two with a triple, a double and five RBI.
- Fisher, Allison, Walker, Cutman, Rowe and Carter all scored two runs in the nightcap.
- Carter earned the first win of her collegiate career, allowing just two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts in four innings thrown.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions return home to host Elizabethtown for a doubleheader at Courtney Pollock Memorial Field on Tuesday 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.
