Story by Seth Goodyear
DOVER, Del. - Penn State Harrisburg Softball picked up its first CAC win in program history defeating Wesley 9-1 in six innings in the second game of the day. The Blue and White dropped the first 6 - 4.
The Lions started slow in game one falling behind by six runs in the first two innings. The bats struggled only finding four hits through the first five innings.
Trailing going into the final at bat, the Blue and White began to rally when Freshman Amanda Hartman (Reading, Pa. / Oley Valley) drove a single to center field to start the frame. Junior Keriann Saich (Hershey, Pa. / Hershey) followed that up with a double to left to put runners on second and third with only one out. Freshman Kayla Seyfert (Lebanon, Pa. / Cedar Crest) punched a single up the middle to drive in the first run of the game for Harrisburg. Junior Jackie Furch (Hallstead, Pa. / Blue Ridge) hit another single to drive in Saich. Junior Gabby Wolfe (New Milford, Pa. / Blue Ridge) continued the singles with one of her own to score Seyfert. Sophomore Rieley Loch (Madison Township, Pa. / North Pocono) flew out to deep center, which drove in Furch.
The Blue and White were able to get the tying run to the plate, but could not complete the comeback falling 6 - 4. Penn State Harrisburg made some changes to the line up and came out strong in game two.
Sophomore Jackie Furch took the mound and set the tone early keeping the Wolverines to one run over the first three innings.
Furch got some offensive support in the third stanza. Sophomore Jasmine Yanich (Harrisburg, Pa. / Susquehanna Township) got a bunt single and stole second base, Keriann Saich hit a hard shot to third base and forced an error to reach base. Rieley Loch hit a single to score Yanich. A pair of wild pitches and a single from Gabby Wolfe drove in two more run to give the Lions a 3 - 1 lead.
The Blue & White turned to Seyfert in the fourth inning. She navigated the team through two more innings of scoreless defense only giving up three hits.
The Harrisburg offense struck again in the fifth inning. Freshman Leah Palm (Hummlestown, Pa. / Lower Dauphin) started the rally by popping a single over the short stop. Saich followed that up with a double to center to put runners on second and third. Saich ended the day five for seven and sparked the offensive success. Loch blasted a single past second base to score Palm. Wolfe followed that up with a double to left, which brought in Saich and Loch to extend the lead to five.
Harrisburg followed that with more runs in the top of the sixth inning. Junior Mackenzie Trafka (Middletown, Pa. / Middletown Area) lead of with a single and stole second base. After Yanich reached first on an error, Seyfert hit a single to score Trafka. Palm crushed a triple to left field to drive in two more RBI's.
With a 9 to 1 lead the Lion's turned to Freshman Amanda Hartman to close out the win in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hartman surrendered only one hit and got a fly ball to center to close out the game.
Penn State Harrisburg improves to 7-9 overall and 1-3 in conference. They will take the field tomorrow at Salisbury University, currently ranked second in the country at 1 p.m.