AMCC SOFTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK: D'YOUVILLE AT PENN ST. ALTOONA

AMCC Softball Game of the Week:
D'Youville College at Penn State Altoona
Sunday, April 24 at 1:00 p.m. 

Penn State Altoona softball (20-6, 10-0 AMCC) hosts fellow undefeated conference foe D'Youville College (16-8, 10-0 AMCC) this Sunday, April 24 for a showdown at Stewart Athletic Field. 

The D'Youville softball team heads into their first place matchup with the Penn State Altoona Lions on a tear, winning seven straight games and 12 of 14. Last weekend, the Spartans faced off against the Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats and got away with two wins thanks to clutch hitting from freshman catcher Victoria Purucker. The pint-sized freshman hit a walk off in game one to drive in the game-tying and game-winning runs to give the Spartans a 3-2 win. D'Youville has had different players shoulder the offensive load at different points this season. In the first several weeks it was junior utility player Hannah Turek, but as of late, shortstop MacKenzie Kehlenbeck has been a force. Kehlenbeck leads the AMCC with five home runs and is tied for third with 21 RBI. Turek is one behind her with 20 RBI, which is fifth in the conference. DeVantier and Evans have added firepower as of late as Evans is third on D'Youville with 16 RBI and DeVantier is tied for fourth with senior outfielder Lydia Monin with 14 RBI. Six different Spartans have .300-plus batting averages. Monin is second in the AMCC with 26 runs scored with eight players on the team scoring 10 or more runs. Gawlak has also been a pleasant surprise this season with two home runs, batting .306, 13 runs scored and 11 RBI. Junior catcher Ashley Colan has also stepped us as of late with seven RBI this season and a career high nine runs.
Pitcher Kalie McHenry has arguably been the Spartans' best hitter this season with a team high .400 batting average, which is fifth in the conference. In the circle, McHenry has been stellar once again. She is tied for first in wins (16), first in strikeouts (143) and second in ERA (1.85). She is the reigning AMCC Pitcher of the Week.

Penn State Altoona continues to lean on the strong pitching of junior right-hander Kate Burge, who leads the conference in wins (16), shutouts (5), innings pitched (131.2), and earned run average (1.65), while ranking second in complete games (17), strikeouts (99), and opponent batting average (.203). Burge has also helped her own cause at the plate, entering the week with a team-high eight doubles and two home runs to go along with a .344 batting average and 16 runs batted in. Senior catcher Clarissa Keller, the reigning AMCC Player of the Week, continues to swing a hot bat for the Lady Lions. She currently leads the conference in batting average (.534), on-base percentage (.564), slugging percentage (.699), hits (39), runs scored (28), and stolen bases (13). Sophomore first baseman Ashley Struble comes into this week with a team-high 18 RBI, and the team is also getting solid hitting from senior outfielder Mackenzie Strubhar, who is batting .388 with 10 RBI and six extra-base hits, sophomore outfielder Lauren O'Donnell, who is hitting .378 with eight stolen bases, and junior second baseman Allison Simpson, who has driven in 13 runs.