WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Penn College earned its first-ever North Eastern Athletic Conference Softball Championship with a sweep over Penn State-Harrisburg Saturday. The Wildcats won the first game, 7-4, before shutting out the Lions, 6-0, in the nightcap.
In game one
How it Happened: Penn College took an early 3-0 lead through the first innings. Jordan Specht’s double to left in the first plated Olivia Hemstock, who was named the championship MVP, before Maddie Hurst brought in Shayla Bickel with a triple to center in the second, and Hemstock’s single allowed Hurst to touch home.
After Harrisburg got a run back in the third to make it 3-1, the Wildcats answered with four in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 7-1. Bickel’s double scored Madison Shaffer, Hemstock knocked a single to right to plate Maddie Hurst and Bickel before scoring on Margaret Mangene’s single to right. Harrisburg pulled within three on Steph Reider’s three-run homer to center but were held scoreless the remainder of the game.
Inside the Box: Hurst, Hemstock, Mangene, and Bickel all picked up two hits and Hemstock batted in three runs.
Kyla Benner went the distance, allowing four runs, on 11 hits, with three strikeouts and three walks.
In game two
How it Happened: The Wildcats capitalized on a two-out, bases loaded error, to score six runs in the second inning. Mangene and Jalynn Cochran led off with walks and eventually scored with two outs on an error by the Lions. Hemstock followed with a single to plate Bickel, who drew a two-out walk, to make it 3-0. Jordan Specht made it 4-0 with a single to center and Ivvy Morder brought in Specht and Hemstock with a single to right field.
Kassidy Svenson went 1-2-3 in the top of seventh, including a diving grab by Cochran in right for the final out, to clinch the championship for Penn College.
Inside the Box: Five different players accounted for Penn College’s five hits, while Morder finished with a game-best two RBIs.
Svenson improved to 8-2 with a complete-game shutout. She scattered five hits and walked just two batters.
Up Next: Penn College will find out its NCAA Division III Championship first round matchup during Monday’s 1 p.m. selection show on NCAA.com.
