Roaring Lions use long-ball to sweep GA
HOPWOOD, Pa. – Alyssa Strausser's majestic walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh gave Fayette a doubleheader sweep over Penn State Greater Allegheny on Wednesday.
Strausser's homer was one of eight blasted by the Lady Roaring Lions in the two games. Jessica Stairs led the bombardment with three on the day.
GAME TWO: Fayette 9, Greater Allegheny 8
Fayette opened the game in style. With one out, Jill Guthrie hit a homer to right center. Stairs made it back-to-back with a blast down the right field line.
GA came back with three in the third inning thanks to a three-run blast and picked up two more in the top of the third.
Fayette got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Moriah Kromer led off beating out an infield hit. She scored as part of a double steal with Guthrie.
Fayette then pulled even in the fifth when Guthrie hit a ringing double to left center. Stairs followed with her second homer of the season.
Greater Allegheny used two singles and a double to score three and an 8-5 lead.
The Lady Roaring Lions got two back when Andrea Lash crushed a two run blast into the fishing pond beyond the left field fence.
She then came on in relief of starting pitcher Kromer to start the seventh and held GA scoreless, setting the stage for the bottom of the seventh.
Guthrie led off with another double to left center and Strausser took a 1-0 pitch down the left field line and a 9-8 win.
Lash got the win on the mound, pitching one inning and allowing a hit. Kromer pitched the first six, giving up eight runs – five earned. She scattered 12 hits and struck out five.
Of Fayette's 11 hits, seven came for extra bases, including doubles by Guthrie and Teri Lewis and the five homers from Stairs (2) , Lash, Guthrie and Strausser.
GAME ONE: Fayette 17, Greater Allegheny 8
Stairs powered and pitched the Lady Roaring Lions to the six inning win in game one. She blasted a three run shot in the bottom of the first.
It was a seven-run fifth and a five-run sixth.
Miranda Nichols and Lash both homered in the inning, Longo had a double, Morgan Miller and Stairs also had hits in the inning.
Fayette ended the game with five in the sixth. Kromer, Guthrie and Stairs opened the inning with singles. Nichols and Longo walked and Lash found the gap in left center for a double.
Fayette pounded out 17 hits, with Stairs going a perfect 4-for-4. Miller and Lash also had three hits.
On the mound, Stairs went the distance, giving up eight runs on 11 hits and struck out five.
Fayette (12-7, 11-2 PSUAC) remains in second place, a game behind Penn State Mont Alto. The Lady Roaring Lions will host Mont Alto in a showdown for first place on Monday, April 21 with a double header at the Hutchinson Complex.