FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Softball PSAC playoff hopes dashed in pair of losses at Lock Haven – Pratt breaks school single season home run record with 10th home run of the season

Game One Boxscore
Game Two Boxscore

LOCK HAVEN – The Mansfield University softball team saw its PSAC playoff hopes come to an abrupt and disappointing end in a pair of losses at Lock Haven on the final day of the regular season Sunday.

Mansfield dropped the opener 3-0 behind a five-hit shutout by the Bald Eagles Sarah Morse and the nightcap 5-3 after Lock Haven rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

With the sweep, Lock Haven – which would not have made the playoffs if they lost both games to Mansfield – earned the No. 1 seed out of the PSAC Central with an 11-5 conference mark. IUP and Bloomsburg earned the other two spots out of the Central.

In the opener Mansfield's Kate Pratt and Morse batted on the mound with each pitcher allowing the opponent just five hits and both throwing a complete game.

After a scoreless first inning, Lock Haven drew first blood when Alicia Cicciotti delivered a one-out single on a 0-2 count to drive in two runs in the second inning.

Lock Haven added another run in the bottom of the third when  Bridgette Clarke led off the inning with a double and later scored on a fielder's choice.
In the top of the fourth, Mansfield's Courtney Bauder tripled with one out but was called out at the plate when Danielle Long hit a grounder to third and was thrown out at first. The first basemen then threw to home to get Bauder out at the plate.

Mansfield threatened again in the sixth when Stephanie Simmeth led off the inning with a single to center but got erased when Kaitlin Kramer hit into a double play. Pratt, the next batter, then doubled down the left field line but the Mountaineers couldn't put the run across.

Pratt went the distance for the Mountaineers allowing five hits and striking out four while walking two. Kaitlyn Harris went 2-3 from the plate in addition to Bauders triple and Pratt's double.

Morris also scattered five hits and struck out three while walking none.

In the nightcap, Lock Haven took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Chelsea Edwards but Mansfield tied it in the top of the third when Pratt was credited with an RBI after getting hit by a pitch on a 3-2 count with two outs and the bases loaded.

Mansfield took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Pratt drilled her school-record 10th home run of the season with two outs. Lock Haven tied the score in the bottom half of the inning scoring a run off a Mansfield error.

With the game tied at 2-2, Lock Haven scored three times in the bottom of the sixth with Erin Clary and Sarah Schwalm each delivering RBI doubles.

Down 5-2, Mansfield tried to rally in the top of the seventh wieh Kelley Pfleegor lead off the inning with a pinch hit single and later scored. Mansfield had runners on first and third with two outs but could push across the tying runs.

Caitlin Klobosits started and went 5.1 innings in taking the loss. She gave up six hits and struck out three while walking one.

Nicole Smith went the first five innings for Lock Haven before giving way to Sarah Morse who picked up her second win of the afternoon by allowing one hit over the final two innings of the game.

Mansfield ends the regular season with a 20-15 overall record and 7-9 PSAC Central mark.

It marks the most wins in a season since posting a 22-23 mark in 2006 and the first winning seasons since going 24-13-1 in 2005.