LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University softball team (17-13, 5-3 PSACC) split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Central Division doubleheader with visiting Indiana University of Pennsylvania (8-19, 4-4 PSACC) Sunday afternoon at Lawrence Field.
LHU took game one in a nailbiter, 2-1 before IUP outlasted Lock Haven, 8-5 in game two.
Game One: W, 2-1
Lock Haven edged out the Crimson Hawks, 2-1 in game one of the doubleheader.
In the fourth inning of a 0-0 ballgame,
Rachel Gricoski (Frackville, Pa./North Schuylkill) sent a deep fly ball to right field that scored
Faith Ceely (Troy, Pa./Troy) to put LHU 1-0. On the same play,
Stefanie O'Grady (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) took advantage of an IUP error to score another run and put the Bald Eagles ahead 2-0.
IUP added a solo home run late to cut the lead to 2-1, but LHU outlasted the Crimson Hawks to take game one, 2-1.
Ceely and
Chloe Kennedy (Elkton, Md./Caravel Academy) led LHU on offense as they both recorded hits in the ballgame. Ceely added a run scored while Gricoski added an RBI.
Bekah Slattery (Douglasville, Pa./Daniel Boone) was brilliant in the circle for LHU, throwing a complete-game, four hitter. She finished with 14 strikeouts in the contest, tying her season-high and one off of her career-high/school record for strikeouts in a single game.
Game Two: L, 8-5
The Crimson Hawks were able to take game two, 8-5 to split the day with LHU.
Trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, LHU's bats came alive as the Bald Eagles score a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to knot the game at 5-5.
IUP was able to respond and score three runs in the top of the seventh inning to jump ahead, 8-5. The Haven tried to rally late, but it wasn't quite enough as the Bald Eagles fell, 8-5.
Casey Carpenter (Spring Brook, Pa./North Pocono) and
Madison Mathes (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) led the Lock Haven offense as they both tallied two hits. Carpenter finished 2-3 with a home run and two RBI's while Mathes finished 2-4 with an RBI.
Kennedy added a triple in the game while
Becca Caputo (Williamsport, Pa./Jersey Shore) added a double and two runs scored.
Cassie Querry (Cassville, Pa./Southern Huntington) added a pinch hit home run in the fifth inning that cut IUP's lead to 5-4.
Up next:
Lock Haven will be back in action tomorrow (April 8) when the team travels to Goldey-Beacom for a doubleheader. Those games are scheduled for 2:30/4:30 start times.
