(ALTOONA, PA:)  The Penn State Altoona softball team suffered a pair of defeats at the hands of Penn State Behrend Saturday afternoon at the Ivyside Field.  The Erie Lions cruised to a 10-0, five-inning win in the opener before rallying for an 8-4 victory in game two.  Altoona fell to 3-16 overall and 0-5 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference while Behrend improved to 13-3 and 2-0 in the league.

Behrend pitchers Julie Koman and Maddie Weiser combined to throw a one-hitter with no walks and five strikeouts in the opener.  The Erie offense pounded out 15 hits, scoring four runs apiece in the first and fourth innings.

Altoona starting hurler Chelsea Rhodes took the loss, giving eight runs on 10 hits through 3 and 2/3 innings of work.  Freshman Nicolette Stimely (Lewistown, PA/Lewistown) had the lone Lion hit of the game.

In game two, the hosts scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-3 lead.  But Behrend's Katie Whitby answered with a two-run home run in the sixth, and the visitors tacked on three more in the seventh to set the final.

Trailing 3-0 entering the fourth, sophomore catcher Kara Myers (Millheim, PA/Penns Valley) got Altoona on the board with a sacrifice fly that scored Danielle Lynch (Williamsport, PA/Montgomery).  Stimely belted a two-RBI single before Behrend starting pitcher Laura Frischkorn was pulled in favor of Koman.  Melissa Claver (State College, PA/State College) singled off Koman to score Stimely, but the Lions would eventually strand the bases loaded.

Behrend also capitalized on five Altoona errors and cracked nine hits off starter Emily Cummins (Spring Mills, PA/Penns Valley), who hurled a complete game and surrendered five earned runs.  Cummins walked two and struck out 10 Behrend batters.

Freshman Callie Lyle (Brockway, PA/Brockway) went 2-3 and scored a run in the losing effort.  Classmate Megan Turiano (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) also accounted for two of the Lions seven hits in the game.

Koman earned the game two win in relief, throwing 2 and 1/3 innings of scoreless softball and scattering three hits.  Whitby, a Tyrone native, went 3-3 at the plate, scored two runs, and had 5 RBI for the victors.

Penn State Altoona has a full week off before returning to action Saturday, April 12, for a 11:00 AM doubleheader at Pitt-Bradford.  The following day, Sunday, April 13, the Lions will travel to Hilbert for a 1:00 PM twin bill.

CONTACT:        Penn State Altoona Sports Information
                           Steve Crider  --  SID
                           814-949-5173
                           sac310@psu.edu