HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Juniata College softball team swept Penn State Harrisburg Monday afternoon to improve to 10-12 overall, the most wins the program has seen since 2010. Juniata took game one 11-5 and then went on to win game two 11-6. Penn State Harrisburg dropped to 9-19 with the losses.
Freshman Aly Smith (McVeytown, Pa./Mount Union) had an impressive day at the plate and in the field. The pitcher earned the win in game one after going five innings and striking out five. She also went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, a double and an RBI in game one. Smith would finish the day hitting .571.
Game One
Penn State Harrisburg jumped out to a 5-2 lead after two innings of play. But the Eagles bats went on fire in the third. Senior Paige Robertson (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) reached on an error by the pitcher and advanced to second when the next batter grounded out. Smith then singled op the middle, scoring Robertson. Her single was followed by a double to right center by junior Meghan Decker (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) that scored Smith.
Sophomore Katie Schroeder (Kempton, Pa./Kutztown) singled to center scoring Decker and tying the game at 5-5. Starter Gabrielle Wolfe's afternoon on the mound was done and reliever Kara Boyd came in to stop the rally.
She got the next batter to pop up but walked freshman Jasmine Assad (Lambertville, N.J./South Hunterdon Regional) to put runners on first and second. Senior Steph Frith (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) singled up the middle, allowing Schroeder to come around and score the eventual gamewinner and Assad to advance to third.
Freshman Brooke Walls (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) singled through the left side on the first pitch of her at-bat, scoring Assad. A wild pitch by Boyd would allow Frith to score and give Juniata the 8-5 lead. The combination of Smith and junior Lydia Gorba (Portage, Pa./Portage Area) on the mound, kept the Lions on their toes and off the board for the remainder of the game. Wolfe received the loss.
Game Two
Like in game one, Penn State Harrisburg jumped on the board first. They led 1-0 after the first inning, and as in game one, Juniata's bats came alive to take the lead. With one out in the top of the second, Decker tripled to right field on a 1-2 pitch. Junior Kelsea Decker (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) reached on a throwing error by the third baseman and Meghan scored on the play. Schroeder then hit her second home run of the season over the right center wall to give Juniata the 3-1 lead.
Up 3-2 in the top of the fifth inning, the Eagles worked to extend their lead. Freshman Allie Lingenfelter (Roaring Spring, Pa./Northern Bedford) walked and advanced to second when Frith reached on a fielding error by third. With two outs and the bases loaded, junior Rachel Smith (Martinsburg, Pa./Home School) cleared the bases with a single to right field and advanced to third on an error by the right fielder. The next batter flew out, but the damage was done. Juniata led 6-1. The Eagles put five more runs up in the sixth inning to earn their 10th win of the year.
Kelsea Decker threw all seven innings to improve to 5-3 with her sixth complete game of the season.
Juniata returns home for senior day this Saturday, April 20 in a doubleheader with Landmark Conference rival Moravian College. The games start at 1 p.m. and will be the last conference contests of the Eagles regular season.
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