GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with the Penn State Beaver Lions Thursday at Tomcat Park. Thiel lost 9-2 in the first game before picking up a 7-6 win in the second game.
 
The Lions scored one run in their first at-bat in the first game. Thiel countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Madison Fullmer (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) drove in a run on a triple down the left field line while Vanessa Falce (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
Fullmer led Thiel at the plate in the first game with a triple and a double.
 
In the second game, Penn State Beaver scored the first run of the game in the top of the first. Thiel tied up the game in the bottom of the first on Miranda Reesman's (Vandergrift, Pa./Leechburg) single up the middle.
 
Thiel took a 4-1 lead with three runs in the second inning. Fullmer and Jessica Kelley (Freeport, Pa./Freeport) each hit an RBI-single in the second.
 
The Lions picked up a run in the top of the third, but Megan Hepler (West Sunbury, Pa./Moniteau) and Quinn Ursprung (Bel Air, Md./C Milton Wright) both hit RBI-doubles in the third to increase Thiel's lead to 6-2.
 
The Lions scored a run in the fourth and three runs in the top of the seventh to tie up the game, 6-6.
 
The Tomcats went on to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. Chase Gifford (Buffalo, N.Y./City Honors School) led off the inning with a single to right field. Kara Baumgardner (Summerhill, Pa./Forest Hills), who pinch ran for Gifford, advanced to second on a groundout. Leah Woytek (Hillsville, Pa./Mohawk) reached first on a bunt single, which advanced Baumgardner to third. Kelley followed with a hit to shortstop, which allowed Baumgardner to score the game-winning run.
 
Gifford went 3-for-4 in the second game. Ursprung recorded two doubles while Kelley notched two hits and two RBIs.
 
Thiel is 15-21 overall and 8-4 in PAC play with two conference doubleheaders remaining in the regular season.