WESTMINSTER, Md. – The Penn State Altoona softball team hit the road Wednesday afternoon for a doubleheader with non-conference opponent McDaniel College, and the Lions suffered a loss in each game.

McDaniel (5-11) came back from a three-run deficit to prevail 7-4 in game one, and the Green Terror fended off Penn State Altoona (10-10) for an 8-5 victory in the nightcap.

Game One: McDaniel 7, Penn State Altoona 4

Trailing by one, Penn State Altoona scored three runs in the third and another in the fourth to jump in front, 4-1. But the Green Terror used a six-run bottom of the fourth to power ahead and ultimately hand the Lions a three-run loss.

Karli Storm (Chest Springs, PA/Cambria Heights) was 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and a walk. Madison Kennedy (Williamsburg, PA/Central) hit 2-for-4 with a double, and Kara Lansberry (Williamsburg, PA/Williamsburg Community) went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Lauren Davidson (Clearfield, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two walks, and Gracie Wilt (Altoona, PA/Altoona) had two RBI and a run scored.

Josselyn Nau (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) got the game-one start at pitcher for Penn State Altoona and went the distance, tossing six innings and yielding four earned runs.

McDaniel made it 1-0 in the bottom of the first on an Ally McBride RBI single down the left-field line, but Penn State Altoona claimed the lead in the top of the third inning. Davidson drew a leadoff walk and later scored on an infield error to tie the game, and RBI singles to right by Riley Best (Coalport, PA/Glendale) and Lansberry put the Lions up, 3-1.

Penn State Altoona increased its lead to 4-1 in the top of the fourth, when Davidson led off with a base hit and eventually scored on Wilt's sacrifice fly to right.

But the Green Terror charged ahead with a six-run bottom half of the fourth. Riley Jackson's two-run single up the middle made it a one-run game, and Emma McPherson scored on an error to knot the score at 4-4. After that, run-producing singles from Ryan Smith and McBride put McDaniel ahead, 7-4.

Penn State Altoona loaded the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings but came up empty-handed both times. In the sixth, Olivia Werkheiser (Easton, PA/Wilson Area) started the inning with a hit, Alexa Baney (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle) reached on a one-out error, and Storm drew a two-out walk, but a groundout ended the threat. The Lions again put three aboard in the seventh, when Lansberry singled and Kendal Wadsworth (Johnstown, PA/Richland) walked with one out before a two-out Davidson walk filled the bases. But a pop-up ended the game, as Penn State Altoona stranded six runners across the last two frames.

Game Two: McDaniel 8, Penn State Altoona 5

The Green Terror built a 3-0 advantage through two innings of play, but Penn State Altoona put together a three-run top of the third to even the score. However, McDaniel answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third and went on to top Penn State Altoona by three.

Best led the Lion bats with a 3-for-3 performance, hitting her second home run of the season to go along with two RBI, one run scored, and one walk. Storm was 1-for-2 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored, and two walks.

Wadsworth and Wilt also had one hit apiece, and Kennedy drew two walks.

Kennedy got the start in the circle and went three innings, allowing five earned runs along the way. Best finished the game by tossing the last three frames and yielding two runs.

McDaniel nabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run single from Cameron Kelly, and Sariah Guevara's fielder's choice brought in another run in the second inning to make it 3-0.

Penn State Altoona rallied for three runs in the top of the third to tie the score at 3-3. With Wilt and Audrey Walker (Mill Hall, PA/Central Mountain) both on base after drawing walks, Storm's double to left center plated both runners to make it a one-run difference. Two batters later, Wadsworth delivered an RBI single through the left side to bring the Lions even with the Green Terror.

But McDaniel responded with a three-run bottom half of the inning. McPherson's RBI double to center put the home team back in front, and a groundout and double steal resulted in two more McDaniel runs coming across to make it 6-3.

The Green Terror upped its lead to 8-3 in the fourth, as Kelly's RBI double and Shiloh Wall's run-scoring infield hit accounted for McDaniel's scoring in the inning.

Penn State Altoona dug into its deficit in the top of the seventh. Storm led off with a walk, and Best followed with a two-run homer to center to cut the McDaniel lead to 8-5. But the Green Terror retired the next three Lion batters and closed out a three-run victory.

Next up, Penn State Altoona softball begins its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference schedule at home this Saturday, March 28, when the Lions host league opponent Hilbert College for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.