MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Franklin & Marshall at Courtney Pollock Memorial Field on Tuesday afternoon, March 29. The Lions came away with a 4-1 victory in the opener before dropping a 5-1 decision in the nightcap. 

GAME 1 

Penn State Harrisburg (10-5) was strong out of the gate in a 4-1 win over Franklin & Marshall (12-7) in the first outing of Tuesday's non-conference doubleheader, racking up seven of the team's nine total hits in the first two frames.

Reigning United East Player of the Week Madelyn Krantz did the most damage, as her second-inning grand slam proved the difference in the victory, but Madelyn Lehigh and Olivia Herncane also had multi-hit openers. Carissa Yeager was stout inside the circle, throwing a complete game and allowing just one run on three hits to go along with five strikeouts.

After the Lions stranded a pair of baserunners in the bottom of the first, Krantz made sure no such thing occurred in the bottom of the ensuing stanza. With the bases-loaded, Krantz took a 1-0 pitch and cranked it over the fence in left field to give the home team a lead it wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way.

The Diplomats finally got something going in the top of the fourth, using two singles and a walk to plate their first run but Yeager put an end to the threat with a two-out, ground out to Lehigh at shortstop that ended the half inning. Yeager sat down the next nine F&M batters in order to seal the game-one win.

GAME 2

For as strong as the bats were for Penn State Harrisburg (10-6) in the first outing, they struggled to get going in game two and Franklin & Marshall (13-7) was able to earn the split thanks to a 5-1 victory in the nightcap. 

Madelyn Lehigh was the lone Penn State Harrisburg player to have a multi-hit game two, as she finished 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, and an RBI. Mary-Kate Penczkowski went the distance, allowing just three earned runs and striking out six batters. 

A defensive miscue with two outs allowed F&M to get on the board first in the top of the opening frame and another Blue & White error combined with three hits led to two more runs for the visitors in the top of the second. 

The Dips tacked on another run in the fifth but Lehigh cut into the deficit thanks to a two-out RBI double to left field in the bottom half that scored Madelyn Krantz from first base. Unfortunately for the Lions, they were unable to push Lehigh across and could not take advantage of Steph Reider's leadoff double in the bottom of the six. 

NOTABLES

- Madelyn Krantz's game-one grand slam was her first home run of the season.

- Krantz's homer was the only extra-base hit of the first outing.

- Madelyn Lehigh went 2-for-3 with a walk in the opener.

- Olivia Herncane was 2-for-4 in the first contest. 

- Carissa Yeager was stellar on the rubber in opener, throwing a complete game, surrendering just one run on three hits, and striking out five Diplomats.

- Lehigh led the way at the plate in game two, going 2-for-3 with a triple, a double, and an RBI.

- Steph Reider doubled in the nightcap, while Krantz scored the Lions' lone run. 

- Mary-Kate Penczkowski threw a complete game in the second outing, allowing three earned runs and striking out six.

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions return to conference play when they host United East foe Penn State Abington for doubleheader action at Courtney Pollock Memorial Field on Saturday afternoon.

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