The Penn State Altoona softball team’s 2023 season came to an end on Friday afternoon, when the Lions suffered a 7-2 loss to the University of Mount Union during day two of the NCAA Division III Tournament’s Cleveland Region at Mather Park.
CLEVELAND — The Penn State Altoona softball team’s 2023 season came to an end on Friday afternoon (May 19), when the Lions suffered a 7-2 loss to the University of Mount Union during day two of the NCAA Division III Tournament’s Cleveland Region at Mather Park.
Penn State Altoona (25-14) outhit Mount Union (37-10) by a 9-7 margin on the day. But the Lions were unable to come up with a big inning offensively, while the Raiders produced enough runs to survive and advance to the next game.
Penn State Altoona is eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with its second loss of the bracket.
Three different Lion batters finished with a multi-hit game. Brooke Colledge, of Everett, led the way by going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Cameryn Feathers, of Martinsburg, was 2-for-3 with her team-leading fifth home run of the season, and Hanna Lauck, of Bellefonte, also hit 2-for-3.
Gianna Hoppel, of Lewistown, and Madison Lucas, of Philipsburg, also had one hit apiece for the Lions.
Alyssa Fisher, of Lock Haven, got the nod in the pitching circle and shouldered the loss. The right-hander tossed a complete game, going seven innings and limiting Mount Union to four earned runs while recording one strikeout.
Mount Union took advantage of a Penn State Altoona error to plate three runs in the top of the first inning. With two runners on and no outs, Sydney Mercer put down a sacrifice bunt, then reached on a throwing error that allowed both base runners to score. On the next play, Mercer scored on a groundout to make it 3-0.
The Raiders upped their lead to five in the top of the third. A wild pitch allowed Sami Swartz to score from third base, and an RBI groundout by Faith Kiko drove in Alexis Temple to make it 5-0.
Penn State Altoona got on the board in the next half inning. With Colledge on first and two outs, Hoppel sent a base hit into right field. An error by the Mount Union right fielder during the play allowed Colledge to score, and the Lions trimmed their deficit to four, 5-1.
Mount Union got that run back in the top of the fourth, when Grace Heath led off with a single to right and later scored on Mercer’s RBI groundout to shortstop. The Raiders made it 7-1 in the fifth, when Lydia Wacker stole home as part of a double steal.
The Lions added a run to their total with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the sixth, as Feathers led off the frame with a home run to right-center field.
But Penn State Altoona was unable to make up the rest of its deficit, and the Lions lost by five.
Penn State Altoona softball finishes its season with a 25-14 overall record. The Lions won their third-ever Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship last weekend, which gave the team a berth to compete in the NCAA Division III Tournament this week for the third time in program history.
