KEUKA, N.Y. – Penn College concluded its North Eastern Athletic Conference softball regular season with a two game sweep against SUNY IT Monday. Penn College won the first game 7-2 and took the second contest 7-3. Penn College evened its NEAC mark to 10-10, 12-24 overall, while SUNY IT fell to 10-8, 12-16.
Penn College is two games behind SUNY IT for the third and final NEAC playoff spot in the North Division, and SUNY IT plays the No. 1 team in the division Keuka Tuesday. Should SUNY IT lose both games, Penn College would win the head-to-head tiebreaker, and reach the postseason, with a 3-1 record against SUNY IT in conference play this season.
In Game One,
SUNY IT added the first run in the second before
Katie Kratzer's RBI single in the third even the game. After SUNY IT went ahead with a run in the bottom of the fourth,
Stephanie Kramer evened the game with a ground out in the fourth.
Penn College exploded with five runs in the seventh inning.
Breanna Abbey began the onslaught with a RBI single, Kratzer followed with a RBI double to left,
Jessica Gmerek added a RBI single and
Shelby Lyter brought in two with a double down the left field line.
Abbey, Kratzer, Lyter and
Nicole Lo Furno all finished with two hits for Penn College.
Arika Stopper improved to 7-7 after seven innings, with four strikeouts, no walks and two earned runs.
In Game Two,
Penn College opened up with a four run in the first inning. Gmerek and
Macie Lucas both had RBI singles and Stopper smacked a two run single before Kratzer knocked in a run with a single in the fourth to put PCT ahead early.
SUNY IT closed the gap to 5-3 with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Abbey brought in a run with a single in the sixth before Kratzer smacked a one run double to left.
Abbey finished with three hits for Penn College and Kratzer and Lyter each had two.
Lyter improved to 5-11 after a complete-game, with seven strikeouts, one walk and three runs (two earned).
Penn College closes out the regular season Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., in a doubleheader against Alfred State.