MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn College split a United East softball doubleheader against Penn State-Harrisburg Tuesday. The Wildcats dropped the first game, 4-3, before winning the second contest, 2-1, to improve to 20-2 United East, 24-7 overall.

How it happened: The Nittany Lions scored three in the first and one in the second to take an early 4-0 lead in game one. Penn College clawed away at the deficit with a one in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Margaret Mangene's single in the fourth put the Wildcats on the board, Jordan Specht brought in a run with a single in the fifth, and Kyla Benner drove in the third run on a single in the sixth.

Maddie Hurst's single in the top of the third gave Penn College a 1-0 lead in the second game. Harrisburg evened the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the third before Mackenzie Weaver helped herself with the eventual game-winning run when she doubled to left in the sixth inning.

Inside the box: Benner led Penn College at the plate in the first game with two hits and fired a complete-game in the circle. She surrendered eight hits, walked six, allowed four earned, and struck out four batters to fall to 12-4.

Olivia Hemstock picked up two hits to lead the Wildcats at the plate in game two. Weaver improved to 12-2 after seven innings of work. She allowed no earned runs, on six hits, with two strikeouts and five walks.

Up next: Penn College returns to action Friday, 3 p.m., at Penn State-Abington.