Mont Alto, PA. – The historic start to the 2018 season continued for the Penn State Greater Allegheny Softball Team (8-3, 6-0) continued on Sunday as PSUGA swept Penn State Mont Alto (4-4, 2-4) winning by scores of 6-1 and 10-9. PSUGA had control the entire game for game one, but it took a comeback effort to secure their seventh straight victory in game two.
Game one saw Lacie Lautner (Pleasant Hills, PA./Thomas Jefferson) continue her dominance on the mound. She gave up six hits through seven innings of work while giving up just one run on the way to her fifth win of the season. Control has been her strong suit throughout her PSUGA career and she once again showed it off not walking a batter while striking out five.
Lautner pitched with a lead the entire game as her offense got things going right away in the top of the first. Lautner herself lined an RBI single into left field to help PSUGA grab a 1-0 lead. PSUGA would take advantage of mistakes committed by PSU-Mont Alto in the second as three straight errors allowed Morgan Greely (Roulette, PA./Port Allegheny HS) to score allowing PSUGA to take a 2-0 lead.
Alyssa Guzzie (Fox Chapel, PA./Fox Chapel) reached on another error and another run scored to push the PSUGA lead to 3-0 and Rachel Able (Pataskala, OH./Watkins Memorial High) would bring in the final run on a ground out to short that pushed the lead to 4-0. Ivy Mervis (Pittsburgh, PA./Allderdice) would bring in the final run of the inning with an RBI single bringing the lead to 5-0.
Mont Alto would get their only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Dara Murray grounded into a fielder’s choice bringing the score back to 5-1. PSUGA would get their final run in the top of the seventh and rode it to a 6-1 victory. Each of the first five batters in the PSUGA order drove in runs to help secure the victory.
Game two of the doubleheader featured a back and forth battle throughout with both teams showing their offensive prowess. It would be Mont Alto that gained the early advantage scoring six runs in the first four innings. Lautner got the start once again in game two and only lasted three innings giving up four runs on three hits while walking two batters in a game for the first time this season while striking out two.
After scoring three runs in the first inning and trailing 6-3, PSUGA came back with three runs in the fifth and sixth inning to take a 9-6 lead. However, Mont Alto refused to go down without a fight tying the game on a home run, a passed ball, and an RBI groundout to send the game into extras.
PSUGA started extra innings with a walk by Hayley Maksin (Port Vue, PA./South Allegheny), who would then move to second on a wild pitch. Maksin would then move to third on a groundout by Guzzie before she was able to hustle home on a groundout by Able to give PSUGA a one run advantage.
It was up to Tara Love (Chandler, AZ./Campo Verde HS) to finish out the game and she did just that. She retired the first two batters on a flyout and a strikeout before allowing a runner to reach on a single and steal second. However, she stranded that runner their striking out Sydney Binner to end the game.
With the sweep of the doubleheader, PSUGA now has won seven games in a row and sits at a perfect 6-0 in Penn State University Athletic Conference Play. It is their best start to a season in program history as they look to make the PSUAC playoffs for only the second time since the 2010-2011 season.
They continue their road to the PSUAC playoffs on Friday when they take on Penn State Beaver in doubleheader action on Friday. Game one is scheduled for 2 p.m. followed by game two of the doubleheader around 4 p.m.
