WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's softball team dropped a pair of conference games to United East rival Penn College on Tuesday afternoon, April 5. The Lions fell 10-0 in five innings in the opening contest of a doubleheader before being edged 2-1 in a nine-inning thriller in the nightcap.

GAME 1

Penn State Harrisburg (12-7, 6-1 United East) suffered its first conference loss of the season in a 10-0, five-inning setback to Penn College (10-6, 6-1 United East) in the first contest of a road doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.

The Lions managed just two hits in the first outing, with Steph Reider and McKenzie Boozel accounting for the team's base knocks. 

The Wildcats jumped out in front in the early going, using three singles, a triple, and a Penn State Harrisburg error to plate three runs in the bottom of the first. 

The visitors moved Madeline English into scoring position in the top of the second with two away but were unable to push her across. Penn College wasted little time doubling its advantage in the bottom half and scored three more runs thanks to three hits and a walk.

The home team's bats stayed hot in the bottom of the fourth, as a one-out triple, back-to-back doubles, and an RBI single allowed the Wildcats to tack on four more runs. Boozel led off the fifth with a single but the Lions were unable to move her along, ending the first contest early.

GAME 2

After being embroiled in a pitcher's duel for much of game two, Penn State Harrisburg (12-8, 6-2 United East) nearly earned the doubleheader split with Penn College (11-6, 7-1 United East) but couldn't hold on in extra innings in Tuesday's nightcap. 

Mary-Kate Penczkowski was strong inside the circle, allowing just one earned run on eight hits in 8.2 innings of work. Olivia Herncane drove in the Lions' lone run in the top of the ninth inning, with Madelyn Krantz coming across in the final frame.

After neither team managed to plate a run through the first seven innings and an extra stanza, the Blue & White finally broke through in the top of the ninth when Hernanes RBI ground out to shortstop was enough to allow Krantz to score from third base. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Penczkowski got two critical outs and hoped to strand runners on the corners to end the game but the Wildcats came through with back-to-back RBI singles that allowed a pair of runs to score and spoiled Penn State Harrisburg's attempt at stealing a valuable conference win.

NOTABLES

- Mary-Kate Pencakowski turned in her third consecutive quality outing, allowing just one earned run on eight hits in 8.2 innings thrown.

- Penn State Harrisburg's offense was uncharacteristically quiet on Tuesday, as the Lions combined for just six hits across both games.

- Madelyn Krantz scored her team-leading 23rd run of the season in the nightcap's final frame.

WHO'S NEXT? 

The Lions look to bounce back when they travel to Morrisville for another United East doubleheader on Friday afternoon, April 8.  

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