ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Altoona softball split Friday afternoon's twinbill against Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Hilbert College at Penn State Behrend.

The Lady Lions (20-13-1, 10-6 AMCC) won 3-2 in game one before suffering a 7-2 loss in game two.

Penn State Altoona came up with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning in game one, breaking a 2-2 tie to grab the lead and close out a win.

Haley Giedroc (Howard, PA/Bald Eagle) went 2-for-3 with a double and a run batted in for the Lady Lions in game one. Abby Showers (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola) was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

Emily Strouse (Beech Creek, PA/Central Mountain) pitched all seven innings, giving up just one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out three. She secured her team-leading 12th victory of the season.

Down 1-0 in the fourth inning, Penn State Altoona tied the game on Giedroc's RBI single to center. Penn State Altoona took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Sidney Shultz (Runville, PA/Bald Eagle) singled and was later driven in when Showers reached on an error.

After Hilbert (13-12, 7-6 AMCC) tied the score on an error in the bottom of the fifth, the Lady Lions jumped back on top in the seventh on Showers' go-ahead RBI single to left.

In game two, Penn State Altoona saw a 2-1 lead slip away in the last two innings of the game.

The Lady Lions were limited to just three hits. Giedroc and Strouse were both 1-for-2, while Olivia Miller (West Newton, PA/Yough) went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Strouse pitched four innings in a no decision, giving up only one run on five hits. Shultz, who took the loss, tossed two innings and allowed no earned runs while recording three strikeouts.

Penn State Altoona grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Showers scored on an error. After Hilbert tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the second, Shultz drew a bases loaded walk in the top of the fourth to plate Miller and put the Lady Lions back on top, 2-1.

But the Lady Hawks scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to grab the lead, then scored four insurance runs in the sixth. 

Penn State Altoona softball returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, April 28, to close out its regular season schedule. The Lady Lions will remain in Erie to play AMCC opponent Penn State Behrend in a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1:00 p.m.