WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's softball team dropped a pair of games at United East foe Penn College on Tuesday afternoon, April 26. The Lions fell 7-0 in the opener before falling 9-1 in five innings in the nightcap. 

GAME 1

Penn State Harrisburg (21-12, 13-6 United East) struggled to get the bats going in a 7-0 loss to Penn College (23-8, 13-4 United East) in the first outing of Tuesday afternoon's doubleheader.

Rylee Martinez doubled, while Krys Moore accounted for the team's only other hit in game one. Mackenzie Sawdey threw a complete game and struck out four in six innings thrown inside the circle. 

The Wildcats put up two runs in the bottom of the first before adding another in the second. The Lions got their first baserunner in the fourth when Martinez reached on an error but nothing came of the miscue. In the sixth, Elaina Gates advanced to third base with only one away but the visitors again came away empty. 

In the bottom half, Penn College used four hits, including a two-run home run, to put up four more runs and stretch the lead to seven. Penn State Harrisburg threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with just one out but the Lions were again unable to come away with any runs. 

GAME 2

A big fifth inning proved the difference for Penn College (24-8, 14-4 United East) in a 9-1 victory over Penn State Harrisburg (21-13, 13-7 United East) in the final outing of Tuesday's conference doubleheader. 

Rylee Martinez was 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI double, while Lauren Hess finished 1-for-1 with a walk and a run scored. 

After the Wildcats got on the board first with a two-run bottom of the second inning, the Lions kept the deficit there until the top of the fifth when Martinez doubled to left field and drove in Hess after she walked to begin the stanza, cutting the deficit to one in the process. 

Unfortunately for the visitors, they were unable to get the third out they needed to get out of the bottom of the fifth, as Penn College took advantage of a pair of errors and used seven hits to blow open a close game and end things early. 

NOTABLES

- Martinez finished 1-for-3 with a double in the opener.

- Moore also went 1-for-3 in game one. 

- Fresh off recording her 100th career strikeout over the weekend, Sawdey added four more in the first contest.

- Martinez was 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, and an RBI in game two.

- Hess went 1-for-1 with a walk and a run scored in the nightcap. 

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions return to the friendly confines of Courtney Pollock Memorial Field for another United East doubleheader against Penn State Berks 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.