(ALTOONA, PA:) Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
leader Lake Erie used strong pitching and timely hitting to sweep a doubleheader
from Penn State Altoona Saturday at the Ivyside Field. The Storm won a
tight 3-0 contest in the opener before using 14 hits to take the nightcap 5-1.
Altoona fell to 4-21 overall and 1-10 in the AMCC while Lake Erie improved to
18-14 and 15-3 in the league.
In game one, Storm pitcher Erin McCullough fired a complete game
four-hitter, striking out seven and walking none. Her counterpart, Emily
Cummins (Spring Mills, PA/Penns Valley), was also impressive, hurling all seven
innings while allowing four hits, three runs, and fanning eight.
The difference came in the bottom of the second when Lake Erie
second baseman Britt'nie Bartow roped a two out, three-RBI single. The
bases were loaded via two singles and a hits batsman when Bartow stepped up.
The Lions left a runner on base in each of the first three
innings. Sophomores Kate Markstein (Crown Point, IN/Crown Point), Kara
Myers (Millheim, PA/Penns Valley) and freshmen Megan Turiano (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone)
and Karen Keim (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) each had a base hit for Altoona.
In the nightcap, Lake Erie scored once in each of the first two
innings off of Lion starter Lindsey Laudermilch (Hershey, PA/Hershey) to take an
early 2-0 lead. Altoona got one back in the bottom of the second when
Laudermilch singled and drove in Keim, who also reached on a single.
But Storm pitcher Lauren Malicki stifled the Altoona bats the
rest of the way while her offense got her another run in the fourth and two more
insurance runs in the sixth. As a team, Lake Erie pounded out 14 hits in
the game as Malicki earned the complete game win, scattering eight hits and
striking out four.
Laudermilch went the distance but suffered the loss, walking
only one and allowing four earned runs. Laudermilch, Markstein, and
Melissa Claver (State College, PA/State College) had two hits apiece for the
Lions.
Penn State Altoona is back in action tomorrow for an AMCC
doubleheader against Medaille College. First pitch at the Ivyside Athletic
Field is set for 1:00 PM.
CONTACT: Penn
State Altoona Sports Information
Steve Crider -- SID
814-949-5173
sac310@psu.edu
