AMCC SOFTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK: PENN ST. ALTOONA AT PENN ST. BEHREND
The AMCC softball game of the week features two of the three teams that are tied for first place as we head into the final weekend of regular season play.
AMCC Softball Game of the Week:
Penn State Altoona @ Penn State Behrend
Saturday, April 30 at 1:00 p.m.
The AMCC softball game of the week features two of the three teams that are tied for first place as we head into the final weekend of regular season play. Penn State Altoona, Penn State Behrend, and D'Youville College all have identical 14-2 conference records and are battling it out for hosting rights of the upcoming AMCC postseason tournament.
For the second weekend in a row, Penn State Altoona will play in an important AMCC doubleheader. The Lady Lions are led at the plate by senior catcher Clarissa Keller, who leads the conference in batting average (.505), on-base percentage (.529), and stolen bases (15), and she also ranks second in the league in runs scored (33), hits (48), total bases (68), and slugging percentage (.716). In the circle, junior pitcher Kate Burge continues to post strong results for the Lady Lions. The three-time AMCC Pitcher of the Week leads the conference in games started (24), wins (18), and shutouts (5), and she is second in appearances (26), complete games (20), innings pitched (161.2), strikeouts (127), and earned run average (1.78). As a team, Penn State Altoona has been opportunistic on the base paths, ranking first in the AMCC in stolen bases (59), and on defense, leading the conference in double plays turned (15) and tying for second in fielding percentage (.961).
Penn St. Behrend enters Saturday’s crucial AMCC matchup against Penn State Altoona having won 17 of their last 18 games. The Lions have won 14 straight conference contests and are currently riding an 11-game win streak. They have secured a spot in the upcoming AMCC Tournament, but Saturday’s game has seeding implications. Last season, the two teams split the regular-season doubleheader and then Behrend posted a 3-0 victory in the first game of the AMCC playoffs. The Lions have been hot thanks in part to junior catcher Shannon McDonnell and the pitching crew. McDonnell was recently named AMCC and ECAC South Region Player of the Week. McDonnell leads the AMCC in RBI (29), while freshman AJ Nichols, sophomore Alexa Bupp and junior Rachel Miller are in the Top 5 in the conference for earned run average.