Buffalo, NY – The D'Youville softball team clinched a trip to the AMCC playoffs on Saturday afternoon as the lost to the Penn State-Altoona Lions 6-5 in game one and defeated their guests 13-1 in game two.

Altoona scored the first four runs of the game in game one to jump out to a 4-0 lead after one inning. In the bottom of the second, the Spartans got on the board as Brittaney Goodrich (Eden, NY/Eden) reached base on an error, then stealing second. Alexa Haebrer (Derby, NY/Lake Shore) would then bring home Goodrich with a double as the Spartans trailed 4-1.

Another run from the Lions would cross the plate in the fourth as Altoona regained their four-run lead. To begin the bottom of the fourth, Jordan Hartman (Lake View, NY/Frontier) would walk and be pinch run for by Rachele Anello (Buffalo, NY/Charter). She would then move to second on a wild pitch and score with a Goodrich single. As she did in the second, Haberer doubled home Goodrich. Mikaela Milleville (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara-Wheatfield) then singled two batters later to bring home Haberer from third and make the score 5-4.

In the top of the sixth, the Lions added another run at to go ahead 6-4. The bases were loaded in the bottom of the seventh as D'Youville trailed by two. Megan Meyer (Cheektowaga, NY/Maryvale) hit sac-fly to left to score Milleville from third and the women trailed by one. However, the Spartans were unable to score again as they lost game one 6-5.

Haberer led the team with a 3-3 performance, driving in two runs. She went 7.0 innings, allowing three earned runs and struck out six. Goodrich went 1-3 with two runs scored and an RBI while Rylie Russo (Hamburg, NY/Frontier) had two hits.

Game two was vastly different for D'Youville. They opened the scoring in the first inning as Ashley Carney (Clarence, NY/Clarence) led off with a single. She moved over to second on a Russo sac-bunt, followed by a Meyer walk. Haberer would continue to do damage and collect doubles with her third in two games to drive in Carney. Goodrich then hit a sac-fly to left in the next at-bat to score Meyer and give D'Youville a 2-0 lead.

The runs continued to come in for the second inning. Milleville singled and stole second with one out. Carney then doubled to score her and increase the lead to 3-0. She then moved to third on a Russo single with Russo then stealing second and Meyer walking. Haberer would collect her second RBI in as many innings, scoring Carney and making the score 4-0.

D'Youville blew the game open in the third with six big runs after Altoona scored one in the top of the third. Darian Evans (Brant, NY/Lake Shore) singled to begin the inning, followed by a Sierra Belkota (North Tonawanda, NY/Starpoint) single two batters later. Milleville then cleared the bases with a triple, increasing the lead to 6-1. Carney would then single, bringing home Milleville.

With walks to Russo and Carney, the bases were loaded for Haberer and she delivered for the third consecutive inning, singling to score Carney. Goodrich also got in on the action, singling and scored both Russo and Meyer to make it a 10-1 D'Youville advantage.

In the fourth, Carney would triple with two outs as Russo followed with a walk. Meyer would score them both with a triple as Haberer added her fourth RBI in as many innings to score Meyer and bring the game to its final score of 13-1.

Haberer, Carney, and Goodrich were all outstanding in game two. Haberer went 3-3 for the second consecutive game, tallying four RBI. Carney went 4-4 from the plate with four runs scored and a pair of RBI in the win. Goodrich was the winning pitcher with 5.0 innings pitched, allowing one earned run, struck out three, and walked no batters. She also three tallied three RBI with a hit in the game.

Russo and Meyer were extremely effective at the top of the lineup as Russo went 1-1 with two walks and two runs scored while Meyer went 1-1 with two RBI, three walks, and three runs scored. Milleville went 2-3 in the game as she also had two RBI and two runs scored. Belkota added a run and a hit with Evans doing the same. Victoria Purucker (North Tonawanda, NY/Starpoint) played extremely well in the game as well with Therese Losardo (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) pinch running in the game.

D'Youville will next play in the AMCC playoffs next weekend with times and opponents to be determined.