Sweep ups SB win streak to three
The Penn State Fayette softball team rode the arm of Hayley White to up their winning streak to three games thanks to a nonconference doubleheader sweep Tuesday over Allegany College of Maryland (ACM).
"It's nice for us to pick up these two wins and ride a three-game winning streak into a big conference weekend out East," first-year head coach Alex Rohlf said. "Hopefully the weather doesn't have other ideas."
White (Cumberland, MD/Allegany HS) went the distance in the opener and only allowed two hits in Fayette's 1-0 win. She followed up that performance by earning a save in the second game.
"These games were big for Hayley, who faced her former high school coach," said Rohlf. "She picked a great time to throw her best game since coming to Fayette. The defense had her back all day, including two unassisted double plays by Sammi (McGhee)."
The Nittany Lions (6-8) scored the game's lone run in the home-half of the fifth. With one out, Emily Conklin (Carmichaels, PA/Carmichaels HS) doubled to left center and two batters later, Courtney McKlveen (Ligonier, PA/Ligonier HS) doubled her in to give Fayette the only run it would need.
"Courtney continues to swing a very clutch bat coming through with that big game-winning RBI," said Rohlf. "And Emily really had a great day, getting on base and finding a way to score."
Conklin and Lauran Minerd (Uniontown, PA/Albert Gallatin HS) had doubles for Fayette in the opener.
The Nittany Lions won the second game, 7-6, behind four players with multiple hits. Lauren Mastowski (Dawson, PA/Frazier HS) led the way with three hits (double and two singles) while McGhee (single and double), Conklin (single and triple) and Cassidy Uphold (Grantsville, MD/Northern Garrett HS) (two singles) all had two hits apiece while Brianna Hunt (Berlin, PA/Berlin Brothersvalley HS) added a double.
"Once again our bats heated up for the second game," Rohlf said of the team's recent pattern of struggling offensively in the first game of doubleheaders only to wake their bats up in the second game. "We really hit the ball well and were able to build, and then protect, a lead. We had a little hiccup there, but Hayley came in and slammed the door again."
The Nittany Lions took a 2-0 lead in the first with some two-out lightning. After Uphold and Mastowski singled, Hunt stepped in and drove them in with a double to right center.
ACM took advantage of two Fayette errors in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead, but Fayette countered with two runs in the bottom of the inning for a 4-3 advantage. After Uphold singled, Mastowski doubled her in to tie the score. Three batters later, Mastowski scored when Kelsey Holp (Grindstone, PA/Frazier HS) reached on an error.
The Nittany Lions scored three runs in the fourth to take a 7-3 lead. Conklin tripled to left center to lead off the inning, and McGhee doubled her in. After a McKlveen single, McGhee scored on a wild pitch and then McKlveen scored on an ACM error.
Down 7-3 heading into the fifth, ACM scored three times to trim its deficit to one run, 7-6, with the help of two Fayette miscues. However, Fayette got out of the inning with ACM having the tying run in scoring position.
McKlveen pitched the first six innings and gave up six runs, three earned, and seven hits. White replaced McKlveen for the seventh and earned the save.
The three-game winning streak is Fayette's longest since a 14-game streak from April 10-24, 2018.
The Nittany Lions will look to extend their current streak this weekend when they head on the road for a pair of Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) doubleheaders this weekend, weather permitting. On Friday, Fayette is at Penn State Hazleton (3-9 overall, 3-3 PSUAC) with action starting at 2 p.m. Then on Saturday, Fayette is at Penn State Scranton (0-12, 0-6) with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
For more information on the Penn State softball team, go to https://www.psfathletics.com/sports/sball/index or follow the team on Instagram @fayetteathletics.