ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona softball team returned to action for the first time since March 12, 2020 on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions hosted Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Alfred State College for a doubleheader at Spring Run Stadium.

Penn State Altoona (2-0, 2-0 AMCC) earned the sweep, defeating Alfred State (2-4, 0-2 AMCC) 5-4 on a walkoff in game one, then winning 14-6 in a run-rule-shortened game two.

"It was a good day for the Penn State Altoona softball team. It was really nice to get back out on the field after not really getting a full season in last year," said Penn State Altoona head coach Joe Merilli. "Even though we had a little bit of rust in the first game, I thought we came back in the second game and played like we can play. Hats off to Casey [Reese] for coming back in during the second game and getting two wins. I think, going forward, the future is bright."

Game One: Penn State Altoona 5, Alfred State 4

Penn State Altoona trailed 4-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Lions rallied to record a walkoff win.

Casey Reese (Cresson, PA/Penn Cambria) tossed a complete game for Penn State Altoona to pick up her first collegiate win in the circle. In seven innings, the righty yielded four runs while striking out three batters.

Reese also led the way for the Lions' bats, going 3-for-4 with two runs batted in. Madison Lucas (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola) went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Brooke Colledge (Everett, PA/Everett) was 1-for-4, contributing both the game-tying RBI and the game-winning run.

Olivia Smith (Martinsburg, PA/Central), Makenzie Lukehart (Utahville, PA/Glendale), and Kristen Hewitt (Coalport, PA/Glendale) also tallied one hit and one run scored each for Penn State Altoona.

Alfred State scored a run in the top of the first inning when it executed a double steal, with Krista Lovell coming in from third base to score.

Penn State Altoona answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning, when Reese's two-out base hit up the middle drove in two to put the home team ahead, 2-1.

The Pioneers used a two-out, run-scoring hit of their own to tie things up in the third, when Angela Martone's RBI single to center with two down evened the score 2-2.

Penn State Altoona responded quickly again, as Lucas' RBI base hit to center put her team back on top, 3-2.

The Pioneers scored a run in the fifth to tie the score, then another in the sixth go grab the lead. In the fifth, Lovell's RBI single up the middle knotted the score 3-3, and in the sixth, her bases-loaded walk brought in the go-ahead run. However, Penn State Altoona was able to limit the damage in each inning, stranding five Alfred State base runners over the fifth and sixth innings to stay within one run of the Pioneers' advantage.

The Lions staged a successful comeback in the bottom of the seventh to earn the walkoff victory. Smith led off the frame with a single to left, stole second, and advanced to third on Lukehart's sacrifice bunt. Colledge followed with a single to right-center, plating Smith to tie the game at 4-4. Colledge stole second to put herself into scoring position, and following a flyout, a dropped catch in the outfield allowed her to score the game-winning run for Penn State Altoona.

Game Two: Penn State Altoona 14, Alfred State 6 (Final/6 innings)

Penn State Altoona overcame another deficit in game two, ultimately breaking the game open and winning in six innings via the eight-run rule. The Lions got 14 runs across on 12 hits as a team.

Lukehart went 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. Smith was 2-for-5 with a triple, a team-high four RBI, three runs scored, and two stolen bases.

Jayde Burge (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola) was 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Colledge and Lucas finished with two RBI each, and Brooke Bollman (Bedford, PA/Bedford) recorded one RBI.

Lukehart started at pitcher for the Lions and went 3 2/3 innings in a no decision. Reese took over in the circle after that, pitching a scoreless 2 1/3 innings to clinch her second win of the day.

Penn State Altoona got four runs across in the bottom of the first inning. Smith led off the frame by reaching on an error, then later scored on a passed ball. Later, Lucas' two-run single down the left field line and Bollman's RBI groundout to shortstop made it 4-0.

Alfred State countered with four runs in the top of the second. Sarah Boyce drew a bases-loaded walk to bring one run in, and Kailey Wonica's base hit to right-center drove two more runs in. Boyce stole home during the next at-bat, tying the score 4-4.

The Lions retook the lead in the bottom of the second, when Colledge hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Lukehart to make it 5-4.

The back-and-forth continued in the top of the fourth, when Alfred State got back in front. Lovell's two RBI double to center gave the visitors a 6-5 advantage.

But Penn State Altoona grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the fourth and would not relinquish it for the remainder of the game. Burge singled to center with one out and came around to score on a wild pitch, tying the score at six. Two batters later, Colledge's RBI double to left gave the Lions a 7-6 lead.

Penn State Altoona kept the offense coming in the fifth. Smith's two-run triple into the right-center gap tacked two more runs on to the home team's total, and she scored on an error in the next play to make it 10-6.

The Lions put the eight-run rule into effect in the sixth, when they plated four more runs. Smith's two RBI single up the middle and Lukehart's two-run base hit to right-center gave Penn State Altoona the eight-run cushion needed to end the game early.

Next up, Penn State Altoona softball travels for its first road games of the season, as the team will head east to face non-conference opponent Penn State Harrisburg this upcoming Tuesday, March 30 for a doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m.