LHU Softball splits with Millersville at home

LOCK HAVEN – The Lock Haven softball team dropped a heartbreak, 4-3, in 10 innings in game one before rebounding for an 8-3 victory in game two against Millersville in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader on Thursday (April 18).

Lock Haven is now 16-22 overall and 12-14 in the PSAC East. Millersville moves to 21-20 overall and 12-12 in conference. At present time, Lock Haven’s 12 PSAC East wins slide the Bald Eagles into a three-way tie for the fifth and final postseason spot.

Game 1 Recap: Millersville 4, Lock Haven 3 (10 Innings)

Game one featured a pitcher’s duel and neither team could get anything going through the opening three innings.

Lock Haven struck first, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI double by Maci Brodzina (Warriors Mark, Pa./Tyrone) and an RBI single by Madison Melius (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte).

However, Millersville scored solo runs in the fifth and sixth inning to send the game into extra innings.

Both pitching staffs continued to excel into the extra frames and it wasn’t until the top of the 10th inning when Millersville rallied for a pair of runs to take a 4-2 lead.

Lock Haven trimmed the deficit to 4-3, while loading the bases in the bottom half of the 10th, but the Marauders worked out of trouble to secure the win.

Madison Wolfgang (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) provided a quality start on the mound for the Bald Eagles as she tossed five-complete innings, allowing just two runs and adding three strikeouts.

Kinley Gioglio (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) was excellent in relief for Lock Haven and allowed just one earned run in four and 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Gioglio started her relief appearance with three scoreless innings and added three strikeouts.

Summer Peters (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) led the Bald Eagles’ offense with three hits and a run scored. Brodzina recorded the lone extra-base hit, while Melius, Brodzina and Schmitt all drove in runs.

Game 2 Recap: Lock Haven 8, Millersville 3

The Bald Eagles responded in game two by jumping out to a 6-0 lead after three innings of play.

During the rally, Lock Haven notched five hits and took advantage of three Marauders’ errors. Schmitt and Riley McClellan (Granville Summit, Pa./Troy) and Delaney Good (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) drove in runs, while Peters belted a double to also pick up an RBI.

Millersville chipped away, before cutting the Bald Eagles’ advantage to 6-3 in the top of the sixth.

However, that was the final run for the Marauders and the Bald Eagles tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth before wrapping up the victory.

Faith Persing (Montgomery, Pa./Bloomsburg) picked up her team-leading 11th victory in the circle as she tossed the complete game, while only allowing three runs on three hits and added four strikeouts.

Seven different Bald Eagles drove in runs, while Good (2-for-4) and Schmitt (3-for-4) recorded multiple hits. Peters, Brodzina and Melius also doubled.

NEXT UP:

The Bald Eagles remain home and will host Shepherd at Lawrence Field on Saturday (April 20) at 1 and 3 p.m. The doubleheader will also serve as the program’s Knock MS Out of the Park games.