READING, Pa. – Freshman Kayla Kline (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) extended her hitting streak to 11 games with three hits during a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader with Albright College, but the Lycoming College softball team dropped two tight games, 2-1 in the first game and 5-4 in 11 innings in the second, to open its MAC Commonwealth season on Saturday, March 25.
 
Kline went 3-for-8 during the doubleheader, posting a single in the first game and two hits, a single and a double, in the second game. Her 11-game hitting streak is already tied for seventh in program history and the second-longest by a freshman.
 
In the doubleheader finale, the Warriors (7-4 overall, 0-2 MAC Commonwealth) rallied from down a run in the fifth inning and took a lead in the 11^th, but Albright (5-5 overall, 2-0 MAC Commonwealth) rallied with two runs in the bottom of the inning to post a 5-4 win.
 
The Warriors took the lead in the top of the 11^th when junior Rachael Shady (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) started the inning on second base, took third on a sac bunt by junior Kelcie Crabb (Millmont, Pa./Mifflinburg) and scored on a sac fly by freshman Darci Warriner (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro).
 
The Lions were able to respond in the bottom of the inning, using two bunt singles, a stolen base and a wild pitch to scratch the winning run across, as Jessica Rodriguez laid down a squeeze bunt to score Jordan Chell with the winning run.
 
Down 3-2 in the fifth inning, the Warriors tied the game thanks to Kline, who led off with a double to center field. After a fly out, she stole third and scored on a sac fly by Shady, sending the game into a deadlock that took five innings to settle.
 
The Lions scored three runs in the third inning to get a 3-2 lead, using two errors, a walk and two hits to score the runs.
 
The Warriors got on the board in the second inning, as senior Morgan Kunes (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) led off with a single. She moved up on a sac bunt before Crabb reached on a single and Warriner walked to load the bases. Kunes scored on a fielder's choice that didn't yield an out by sophomore Rachel Duda (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area). In the third, they tacked another run on, as Kline led off with a single up the middle. Kunes followed with a single and Shady was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Crabb hit a sac fly to left to score Kline.
 
Kline finished the game 2-for-5 with two runs and Kunes went 2-for-4 with a run. Duda also went 2-for-5 with a RBI for the Warriors. Chell, Stephanie Pomante and Armida Roman each had two hits for the Lions and Kelly Cembrale scored two runs.
 
Freshman Hannah Boop (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) (2-1) took the loss for Lycoming, allowing 10 hits and one earned run in 10 1/3 innings. She walked five and struck out one. Riley Gerenda earned the win, allowing one hit and no earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. She struck out one.
 
In the first game, Shady tossed a complete-game four hitter, but Stephanie Pomante hit a walkoff homer to lead off the seventh inning to give Albright a 2-1 win.
 
The Lions broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning, after Shady had retired the first 16 batters of the game in a row, with help from a first inning double play, with a walk and back-to-back hits to score Brittany Rodriguez. Stephany Courtney delivered a one-out RBI double to cap the rally.
 
The Warriors got the run back in the sixth, with junior Ashley Schoenstadt (Gap, Pa./Pequea Valley) reaching on a one-out error before Kline singled up the middle. After a flyout, Shady hit an infield single that allowed Schoenstadt to score from second base, setting up Albright's dramatic finish.
 
Gerenda tossed seven innings for the Lions, allowing four hits and no earned runs in the win. She walked one and struck out four. Shady (4-3) also allowed four hits and two runs in six-plus innings for Lycoming. She walked three and struck out one.
 
Pomante led the Lions, going 2-for-3 with a homer. Kline, Kunes, Shady and Crabb each had a single for the Warriors.
 
The Warriors get back on the field on Tuesday, March 28, when they head to Wilkes University for a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader.