LITTLE RIVER. S.C. – The Penn State Altoona softball team began its annual spring trip with a win and a loss on Saturday, when the Lions took on Baruch College and Kenyon College at the North Myrtle Beach Complex, part of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic.

Penn State Altoona (1-3) earned its first win of the season when it blanked Baruch 2-0. The Lions suffered a tight loss in game two, when Kenyon posted a 1-0 shutout victory.

Game One: Penn State Altoona 2, Baruch 0

A strong starting pitching performance helped lead Penn State Altoona past Baruch (4-3) in the Lions' first game of the Fastpitch Dreams trip.

Josselyn Nau (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) tossed a complete game shutout in the circle to register her first victory of the year. The right-hander pitched seven innings and allowed just six hits and one walk while striking out eight batters to hold Baruch scoreless.

With the bat, Alyssa Fisher (Lock Haven, PA/Central Mountain) went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base. Madison Kennedy (Williamsburg, PA/Central) hit 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Penn State Altoona scored its first run in the bottom of the first inning. Fisher led off the frame with a base hit to center, and Lauren Davidson (Clearfield, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) followed with a single to right. Later, with two outs, Kennedy came through with an RBI single to center that put the Lions on the board.

A Baruch error helped Penn State Altoona double its lead in the fifth. Fisher drew a one-out walk, then stole second with two outs to move into scoring position. A Baruch throwing error on the next play let Fisher score, and the Lions grabbed a 2-0 lead.

Nau and the Lions continued to minimize Baruch's offense, and Penn State Altoona successfully sealed its first win of the season.

Game Two: Kenyon 1, Penn State Altoona 0

Penn State Altoona got another solid pitching performance in its second and final game of the day, but the Lions were unable to come through at the plate in a 1-0 loss to Kenyon (7-2).

Kennedy started at pitcher and went the distance, going seven innings, allowing only three hits, and yielding no walks or earned runs. She also struck out two batters.

Hanna Lauck (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) went 2-for-2 with a walk, and Karli Storm (Chest Springs, PA/Cambria Heights) was 2-for-3 with a stolen base.

Kenyon scored the game's lone run in the top of the fourth. With one out, Arianna Jalomo doubled, then advanced to third on a passed ball. The next batter, Maeve McLaughlin, plated Jalomo on a groundout to shortstop, and the Owls established a 1-0 lead.

Penn State Altoona had base runners throughout the game, but the Lions were unable to cash in. Penn State Altoona's biggest offensive threat came in the sixth, when Storm and Lauck started the inning with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position on a Gianna Hoppel (Lewistown, PA/Mifflin County) sacrifice bunt. But, in that inning, Penn State Altoona was stifled, and Kenyon forced the Lions to strand eight runners in the game.

Penn State Altoona softball returns to action tomorrow, Sunday, March 9, with two more games at the North Myrtle Beach Complex. The Lions will go up against Gwynedd Mercy University at 11 a.m., then finished the day with a contest against New Jersey City University at 3 p.m.