MIDDLETOWN, Pa.- Penn State Harrisburg picked up its first North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) sweep of the year when the Lions defeated league foe Penn State Abington 9-1 in both games of an afternoon doubleheader on Sunday, Apr. 1.  The ladies used strong pitching from four different players in starters Kara Boyd (Alexandria, PA/Juniata Valley) and Brittany Kringer (Hazleton, PA/Hazleton), as well as relievers Kristyan Gates (Hanover, PA/Hanover) and Gabby Wolfe (New Milford, PA/Blue Ridge) to keep the visitors at bay and pick up a pair of April Fool's Day victories. 

Boyd took care of business in the first inning of game one, sitting down her opposition in 1-2-3 fashion.  The Lions offense thanked her for her efforts by putting up five runs in the bottom of the stanza. 

Senior shortstop Paige Zechman (Robesania, PA/Conrad Weiser) started things off by reaching base on an error and Boyd singled her home moments later to get the blue and white on the board first.  Gates knocked a single of her own and senior catcher Emily Pae (Harrisburg, PA/Susquehanna) and designated player Kat Bernardi (Fredericksburg, PA/Northern Lebanon) worked back-to-back walks.  Boyd scored on an ensuing wild pitch and Kringer plated Gates with an RBI single.  Pae and Kringer kept the score-fest rolling and scored following a single by left fielder Danielle Ringel (McKees Rock, PA/Sto-Rox).  At the end of one, the Lions had a 5-0 advantage.

Abington got one run in the top of the second but Penn State Harrisburg quickly doused any flame the visitors sparked up in the bottom of the inning.

Pae's sacrifice fly scored Zechman, Boyd added another run when she successfully stole home and Kringer notched another RBI when her single plated Gates.  After two innings, the blue and white had a commanding 8-1 lead.

The home team blanked the visiting Lions for the remainder of the game.  Penn State Harrisburg picked up its final run when Wolfe singled-in right fielder Alisha House (Crownpoint, NM/Thoreau) in the bottom of the sixth and the game was over.

Boyd was strong in three innings of work.  The junior gave up just one hit and one run to go along with her four strikeouts.  Gates took over in the top of the fourth and was just as stout.  She also went three innings but allowed no hits or runs.  The junior transfer surrendered just two walks to go along with her four punch outs.

It was more of the same in the late game.

Wolfe singled to start things off in the first.  She stole second base and Zechman drove her in shortly thereafter.  A Boyd single scored Zechman and Pae brought Boyd around with an RBI ground out a few batters later.  Kringer scored the final run of the inning on an error and once again the Lions were in business early.

As they did in game one, the visitors got a run on the board in the top of the second.  But once again, the blue and white halted any momentum Abington had gained.

Pae tripled to lead off the bottom of the third and senior second baseman Rachael Vettori (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra) drove her in a few batters later.  In her first game of the season, left fielder Lauren Ertle (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) picked up an RBI when her single scored Vettori.  Just like that the home squad upped its advantage to five runs.

The Lions got another one in the fourth when Pae scored on a passed ball.  They got two more in the last inning when Ertle picked up two more RBIs after her single plated Vettori and Kringer.

The pair of wins improved Penn State Harrisburg to 7-13 on the year and 3-1 in NEAC play.  The latter record puts the ladies in the thick of things in the league's South Division.

Penn State Harrisburg is next in action this Tuesday, Apr. 3 when the Lions head to St. Elizabeth for another conference doubleheader.