Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mansfield Splits with Lock Haven in PSAC East Home Opener

 MANSFIELD – Kate Pratt threw a complete-game six hitter and Stephanie Simmeth doubled in the winning run to lead Mansfield to a 4-1 win over Lock Haven in the first game of a PSAC East doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Helen Lutes Field.

Lock Haven rallied to pull out the nightcap 7-6 with a run in the top of the seventh inning.

The opener was the first home game of the season for the Mountaineers after playing their first 18 games of the year on the road.

Lock Haven scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a RBI single by Taylor McGee.

Pratt helped her own cause by tying the game at 1-1 in the third with a two-out double, driving in Hannah Secord who opened the inning with a single.

Megan Miller singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning for Mountaineers. Laura Lawson ran for Miller, and after moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Secord, scored what would prove to be the winning run on a double to the left centerfield gap by Simmeth. Two batters later, Pratt drew a two-out walk before Amanda Goodwin drilled a double to left that drove in two more runs for a 4-1 Mansfield lead.

Pratt retired Lock Haven in order in the sixth but the Bald Eagles got the lead batter on to start the seventh. Pratt struck out the next two hitters before inducing a game-ending groundout.

The senior scattered six hits and struck out six while walking one to pick up her fifth win of the season. Simmeth led the offense going 2-4 with a double and RBI.

Freshman Rachel Mouillesseaux went the distance and took the loss for Lock Haven.

In the nightcap Lock Haven jumped out to an early lead when Michelle Holweger hit a two-out, three-run home run in the top of the second inning.

Mansfield rallied and took the lead in with five runs in the third inning keyed by a two-run double by Courtney Bauder and three-run home run by Pratt. It was her fifth round-tripper of the season and 37th of her career.

Lock Haven came right back and retook the lead at 6-5 with three runs in the top of the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Holweger and RBI single by Chelsea Edwards.
Mansfield tied the score at 6-6 when Miller singled in a run in the fifth.

The Mountaineer threatened again in the sixth with one-out singles by Bauder and Goodwin but failed to push a run across.

In the top of the seventh, Lock Haven got back-to-back singles from Magee and Jodi Weaknecht to open the inning before getting a run-scoring pinch-hit single from Erica Pooler to take a 7-6 advantage into the bottom of the seventh.

After the first two batters ground out, Mansfield was down to its last out. Secord singled and Lawson drew a walk before a game-ending pop-up.

Emily Crandell, who had thrown 15 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run over in her last two games, started in the circle for the Mountaineers and was relieved by Ashley Inman who took the loss. Bauder and Pratt each went 2-4 from the plate and combined for five RBI's.

Mouillesseaux picked up the win in relief of starter Jessie Probst for Lock Haven.

With the split, Mansfield goes into a three-way tie with Bloomsburg and Kutztown for third place in the PSAC East with a 5-5 divisional mark.

The Mountaineers host East Stroudsburg on Friday.