McKeesport, PA. – The Penn State Greater Allegheny Softball Team (4-3, 2-0) got Penn State University Athletic Conference Play started off with a bang when they swept Penn State Dubois in doubleheader action on March 30th. PSUGA looks to keep that early success going when they face off against Penn State Mont Alto in doubleheader action at 2 p.m.
PSUGA flexed their offensive muscles scoring a combined 33 runs between the two games winning 15-7 and 18-11. Game one saw PSUGA jump out to an 11-1 lead using an eight run second inning to take the lead. They added two more runs in the third and two runs in the sixth to secure the victory.
Freshman Hailey Snyder (Connelsville, PA./Connelsville HS) had her best game of the season going 2-4 and driving in four of her teams 15 runs. Maddie Kyle (Carnegie, PA./Carlynton) added 3 RBI of her own while Lacie Lautner (Pleasant Hills, PA./Thomas Jefferson) and Rachel Able (Pataskle, OH./Watkins Memorial High) each contributed 2 RBI of their own.
After falling behind early in game 2, the offense kept going helping PSUGA crawl back from a 5-0 deficit to pick up the 18-11 win. PSUGA scored at least three runs in each of the last four innings to help them secure the victory and move to 2-0 in conference play. Even though they collected just four hits in the contest, they used 14 walks to help them put runners on base and timely hitting helped them get on the board.
Lautner had another big day at the plate in game two going 2-2 while driving in four runs. She currently leads all active PSUGA players with a .471 average through the teams first seven games. She also leads PSUGA in RBI with 11 and has three of the teams four triples on the season. Kyle and Ivy Mervis (Pittsburgh, PA./Allderdice HS) drove in the other two RBI for their team.
PSUGA now sits in second place in the PSUAC West Division with a 2-0 conference record and a 4-3 overall record. Last season, they finished fourth in the West Division with a 12-12 conference record. This season, they are looking to make the push for one of the six playoff spots. The team they currently trail in the division is the team they will see Friday in PSU-Mont Alto.
Mont Alto is off to a perfect 4-0 start to the season including sweeping a doubleheader against Penn State New Kensington on March 30th winning 12-4 and 9-1. Tabetha Mcle led the offense finishing 3-4 with 3 RBI combined between the two games. Reigning PSUAC Pitcher of the Week Mackenzie Brymesser helped lead the way in game two going five innings giving up just one run on three hits.
PSU-Mont Alto owns the all-time matchup between these two teams with a record of 11-3 against PSUGA since the 2010-2011 season. However, it was PSUGA who got the best of the series last season going 3-1 in the four games against Mont Alto. They swept the first doubleheader before splitting the second matchup to end the season.
First pitch for Friday’s game one against Mont Alto is scheduled for 2 p.m. on the campus of Mont Alto. It will be the first of a four-game series with the two teams playing a doubleheader on Friday and meeting for another doubleheader on Sunday.
