WOLFPACK SOFTBALL DROPS TWO HARD-FOUGHT GAMES TO GENEVA JV

YOUNGWOOD, Pa. - One big inning cost the Westmoreland County Community College softball team in both ends of their doubleheader Thursday against Geneva College's JV team, as the Golden Tornadoes claimed 11-5 and 15-11 victories.

The first game saw Geneva jump out to an early 3-0 lead, but the Wolfpack tied the game at 3-3 in the second inning when Maddie Lorince crushed a three-run homer. The big inning in the opener came in the fourth when Geneva struck for six runs. Westmoreland threatened to mount comebacks, but a bases-loaded situation in the sixth ended with two ground outs and an RBI double by Sam Poklembo in the seventh chased home Chelsey Frock, but that was the final run in the 11-5 Geneva win.

The nightcap looked like it might go Geneva's way from the start, as they scored four in the first and two in the second. The Wolfpack trimmed a run off the deficit in the bottom of the second on an RBI triple by Frock. The scoring slowed down for a bit, as Poklembo settled after the tough start to throw three straight scoreless innings and keep it a 6-1 Geneva lead going to the bottom of the fifth inning.

The quiet offenses woke up after that, starting with the Wolfpack in the bottom of the fifth. They scored six times in that frame to take the lead at 7-6. Alexis McKnight and Poklembo sandwiched RBI singles around an RBI ground out by Lorince, which caused a Geneva pitching change. Westmoreland kept the runs coming, as the rally was completed after Julia Jumper lashed a two-run single to tie the game and Hannah Hempfield drew a bases-loaded walk to lift the Wolfpack to a one-run lead.

The advantage didn't last for long, as Geneva scored four times in the sixth inning to regain a 10-7 lead. Further damage was avoided when Lorince threw out a runner at the plate from center field for the third out. That may have helped boost the Wolfpack in the bottom of the sixth when the offense scored twice more. A ground ball by Frock rolled through the infield, allowing Bri McCulley and Lorince to come home and cut the deficit to 10-9.

The final inning saw one more outburst from Geneva that Westmoreland would not be able to overcome. The visitors added five runs in the inning to take their lead to 15-9. The Wolfpack tried to rally again and managed two runs, but could trim anymore off and Geneva escaped with the win.

Westmoreland's next games are scheduled for Sunday, April 14th when they travel to Penn State-Fayette for a non-conference doubleheader.