ALTOONA, Pa.- Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleona) came up big both on the mound and at the plate for Juniata softball as the Eagles split a doubleheader with Penn State Altoona on Thursday afternoon. Juniata came up short 4-1 in the first game but won the second game 3-2.
Lerchen started Game Two and went six innings. She gave up six hits and one earned run while striking out one batter. At the plate, she was 1-for-4 with a run batted in.
Paige Dennison (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) led off the game with a homerun to centerfield to put the Eagles ahead 1-0. With one out and runners at second and third, Jennifer Carthew (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) singled through the right side of the infield to score a run as the Eagles increased their lead to 2-0.
Lerchen found herself in a jam in the Lions' portion of the inning. The bases were loaded with no outs. PSU-Altoona scored on a fielder's choice to make it 2-1. Lerchen then got Shannon Moore to pop out and Allison Simpson to line out as Juniata got out of the inning.
Lerchen would help her cause in the top of the fifth. Carthew led off with a double to left. Lindsey Kosicki's (Patton, Pa/Cambria Heights) sacrifice bunt moved Carthew to third. Lerchen then stepped up and delivered a single to center to bring home Carthew to increase the JC lead to 3-1.
The Lions tacked on a run in their portion of the fifth to make it 3-2. Lerchen retired the side in the seventh to secure the Eagle win.
Carthew and Dennison both finished 3-for-4 with a run batted in. Allie Baney (State College, Pa./State College) picked up two hits.
In the first game, Sarah Sotelo (Fairfax, Va./Paul VI Catholic HS) got the start and limited the Lions to just one hit in four innings but was done in by three Juniata errors that led to three unearned runs. Sotelo walked six batters and struck out one. Kelsey Doell (Burlington, N.J./Doane Academy) pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
PSU-Altoona scored three times in the bottom of the first to go ahead 3-0. The lead increased to 4-0 in the bottom of the third.
Juniata tried to get a rally going in the seventh inning. Kerigan Ammerman (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) led off with a single. Baney flied out to right field but Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) followed with a double to left center. Lerchen's sacrifice fly was deep enough to score Ammerman as the Eagles narrowed their deficit to 4-1. Brooke Walls' (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) single put runners on first and second. With the potential tying run coming to the plate, Carthew fouled out to the catcher and the game was over.
The Eagles will host their first games of the 2016 season this Saturday when they welcome Mount Aloysius to West End Field. Game One will start at 1 p.m. with the second game beginning at approximately 3 p.m.
