Story by Seth Goodyear
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.- Penn State Harrisburg Softball swept through their last games on the Lions spring break trip to improve to 5-3 overall. The Blue & White defeated Mt. Aloysius 7 to 5 in game one and Penn College 5 to 1 in game two.
The Lions fell behind by one in the top of the first, but the offense quickly responded. Junior Gabby Wolfe (New Milford, Pa. / Blue Ridge) lead off the game by crushing her first of three doubles over the left fielders head. She would later score on a fielder's choice. Later in the inning with a runner second, Sophomore Jackie Furch (Hallstead, Pa. / Blue Ridge) drove a pitch through the middle to give the Lions a 2 to 1 lead
With Wolfe on the mound, the Blue & White's defense settled into the game. Wolfe kept the Mounties offense guessing over the next 4 innings, striking out 4 batters and giving up only 1 hit.
In the third inning, the Harrisburg erupted once again. After Wolfe lead the inning off with her second double and took third on a wild pitch, Freshman Amanda Hartman (Reading, Pa. / Oley Valley) drove her in with a deep sacrifice fly to the center fielder.
With one out, Sophomore Rieley Loch (Madison Township, Pa. / North Pocono) and Freshman Leah Palm (Hummlestown, Pa / Lower Dauphin) singled to go along with a walk from Junior Erika Love (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin East), which loaded the bases. Junior Mackenze Trafka (Middletown, Pa. / Middletown Area) stepped into the box with an opportunity to break the game wide open. She drove an outside pitch over the right fielders head and off the fence to triple and drive in 3 RBI's. Junior Keriann Saich (Hershey, Pa. / Hershey) followed that up with a double over the center fielder's head to drive in Trafka.
The Mounties continued to scrap cutting the Lion's lead to 7 to 2 entering the seventh inning. The Mounties scored two quick runs and loaded the bases with only 1 out. The Blue & White's defense settled itself and Wolfe forced a ground ball to short stop Leah Palm for the teams second out. Despite the third run of the inning scoring, Wolfe and the defense stayed calm, forcing another ground out to short to end the game.
Penn State Harrisburg then made the transition from a turf field to a grass field to take on Penn College.
Freshman Amanda Hartman took the mound early looking for her first win of the season and looked good early giving up only one run on three hits through the first four innings.
The Lions offense provided her with all the support she needed, starting when Gabby Wolfe drove a single to left field to score Mackenze Trafka in the second inning.
The Blue & White got more runs in the fourth inning. After singles from Freshman Kayla Seyfert (Lebanon, Pa / Cedar Crest), Keriann Saich and Wolfe, Rieley Loch smashed a double to left field to drive in two more RBI's. Erika Love followed that up with a single of her own to drive in the fourth run of the game.
Those five runs would prove to be more than enough for Hartman, who battled through the fatigue of eight games in four days. Fighting pitch by pitch she held the Wildcats to 3 base runners in the 5th and 6th innings.
The Lion's added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning. After Jackie Furch reach on a single and stole second base, Leah Palm smacked a single into the outfield to score the fifth run of the game.
The Blue & White called upon Kayla Seyfert to close out the game in the bottom of the seventh. Seyfert struck the first batter out in three pitches and forced two routine outs to end the game, giving Hartman and the Lions the victory.
After the game, head coach Tonya Dengler said, "I am incredibly proud of how hard we worked in the off season and our team chemistry and unity is incredible this early in the season. They are fun group to coach."
Penn State Harrisburg heads home riding a five game winning streak. They will face Valley Forge Christian College in a doubleheader on Tuesday March 18 at 3 p.m. at Penn State Harrisburg.