ABINGTON, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's softball team opened conference play with a doubleheader sweep of United East rival Penn State Abington on Wednesday afternoon, March 29. The visiting Lions won the opener 6-3 before wrapping things up early with a 12-2 victory in five innings in the nightcap.  

GAME 1 

Penn State Harrisburg (8-5, 1-0 United East) never trailed in a 6-3 victory over Penn State Berks (6-5, 0-1 United East) in the first outing of Wednesday's doubleheader.  

Rylee Martinez had a multi-hit game, while Madeline English and Emma Einarson drove in two runs apiece. Mackenzie Sawdey picked up her fourth win of the year inside the circle after racking up a career-high 10 strikeouts and Carissa Yeager earned the save.  

The visiting Lions got things going in the top of the second, using three straight walks, a wild pitch, and two hits to plate three runs, with Einarson driving in a pair with a double to right field before Lauren Hess laid down a bunt that scored Olivia Herncane. Penn State Harrisburg tacked on two more in the top of the fourth when English doubled and scored Madelyn Lehigh and Sawdey with two away. 

Penn State Abington got on the board with a lone run in the bottom of the fourth and added another in the fifth but Sawdey worked out of a jam and stranded three runners to limit the damage. Steph Reider doubled to open the seventh and Leah Macaluso traded places with her to tack on an insurance run. The home team got one back in the bottom half but Yeager stranded a pair to seal the win. 

GAME 2 

Penn State Harrisburg (9-5, 2-0 United East) racked up a dozen hits, including four extra-base knocks, and cruised to a 12-2 victory to complete the sweep of Penn State Abington (6-6, 0-2 United East) on Wednesday afternoon.  

Steph Reider drove in three runs, while Madelyn Lehigh, Olivia Herncane, Kierstyn Smith, and Krys Moore each had multi-hit outings. Smith also earned her fourth win of the year inside the circle, allowing just two runs in five innings of work. 

The visitors wasted no time jumping out to a lead, using three hits and a hit by pitch to put up three in the opening frame. Rylee Martinez scored Lehigh with an RBI groundout, Herncane doubled to drive in Madeline English, and Smith plated Herncane with a single to center field. 

The home team cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the first but Penn State Harrisburg answered back with two more in the second when English tripled to right field, scoring Lehigh and Lauren Hess in the process. The visiting Lions busted things open in the third stanza when they scored six runs on five hits. Reider's bases-loaded triple highlighted the offensive onslaught in the third and Moore put an exclamation point on the game's scoring with a two-out, solo home run in the fourth. 

NOTABLES 

- Martinez went 2-for-2 with a walk in the opener. 

- English and Einarson each doubled and drove in a pair of runs in game one.  

- Hess and Elaina Gates stole one base apiece in the first contest. 

- Sawdey got the win in the first outing, striking out a career-high 10 batters in five innings of work. 

- Yeager secured her second save of the year in the opening game, allowing just one run on two hits in the two innings thrown. 

- Lehigh finished 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, and an RBI in game two.  

- Herncane went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI in the nightcap. 

- Moore was 2-for-3 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored in the second outing. 

- Smith went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and a run scored in the final contest.  

- Reider drove in three runs in the nightcap, while English and Martinez drove in two apiece. 

- Smith picked up her fourth win inside the circle in game two, allowing just two runs on five hits in five innings thrown. She also struck out a pair of batters. 

WHO'S NEXT? 

The Lions return to the friendly confines of Courtney Pollock Memorial Field for a doubleheader with United East foe Wells on Friday afternoon. 

STAY CONNECTED

Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.