LHU Softball takes game two from Mansfield, earns PSAC East split

LOCK HAVEN– The Lock Haven softball team (5-11, 1-3 PSAC East) used timely hitting and resilient pitching to take down Mansfield (10-4, 1-3 PSAC East), 6-2, in the back half of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader at Lawrence Field on Sunday afternoon (March 24).

The victory in game two was the first Eastern Division win for the Bald Eagles in the early season and the first victory in front of the home crowd at Lawrence Field.

Lock Haven is in the midst of a six-game home stand, which will continue tomorrow afternoon (March 25) when Kutztown comes to town at 1 p.m. (DH).

Game 2 Recap: Lock Haven 6, Mansfield 2

In the nightcap, both teams went scoreless through two-complete innings, before Lock Haven erupted for four runs on three hits to take a middle-inning, 4-0 lead.

The rally was highlighted by a two-RBI single by Bella Schmitt (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York). Summer Peters (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) and Riley McClellan (Granville Summit, Pa./Troy) also drove in runs during the inning.

Mansfield countered with two runs in the top half of the fourth inning, but Lock Haven pushed across a run in the bottom half to remain on top, 5-2. Hailey Irwin (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York) picked up the RBI for The Haven.

Good tripled in a run in sixth and the Lock Haven pitching staff took care of the rest to lock up the victory.

Lock Haven’s game-two starter Keiva Middleton (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) was outstanding on the mound, and battled through 5 and 1/3 innings, allowing zero earned runs. Middleton struck out four hitters and earned her second victory on the year.

Jada Schellhammer (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) entered the game with one out in the sixth with runners on the corners and worked out of trouble without surrendering a run, earning the save.

Lock Haven totaled nine hits in the contest. Delaney Good (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) led the way with three base knocks, including a triple, while she also drove in and scored a run. Schmitt was the leader in RBIs with two.

Game 1 Recap: Mansfield 4, Lock Haven 3

In game one, Mansfield jumped out on top, 1-0, after hitting a leadoff home run, but the Bald Eales answered with two runs in the top of the second to lead 2-1.

Peters and Lock Haven starting pitcher Faith Persing (Montgomery, Pa./Bloomsburg) drove in runs during the inning.

Persing settling in nicely in the circle and held the Mounties scoreless over the following four innings.

However, Mansfield struck for two runs in the sixth, before adding an insurance run in the seventh, to lead 4-2, heading into the Bald Eagles’ final three outs.

Good drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh to cut Lock Haven’s deficit to 4-3, but the Mounties worked their way out of the jam to secure the victory.

Despite the loss, Persing put in a quality start on the mound as she limited the Mounties to four runs in seven-complete innings, while striking out a game-high seven hitters.

Maci Brodzina (Warriors Mark, Pa./Tyrone) and Peters led the Bald Eagles with two hits each. Persing added a double and Schmitt tripled.

NEXT UP:

The Bald Eagles wrap up their three-series homestand by hosting Kutztown at Lawrence Field tomorrow afternoon (March 25) for a PSAC East 1 p.m. doubleheader.