Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Abington, Pa. - The Nittany Lions softball team were victorious in both games of their home-opening doubleheader earlier this afternoon. Penn State Abington defeated Valley Forge Christian College by scores of 5-0 and 6-0 in the games that were shortened to five innings each due to the freezing temperatures and gusting winds. Sophomore Michaela Drogalis was stellar in the pitching spot for the Nittany Lions, going all 10 innings in the doubleheader including a no-hitter in game one.
 
The Blue and White got things going early on in the first game, exploding out of the gates for three runs in the first inning. After a strikeout from the leadoff batter, Alyssa Virginio singled to third and then advanced to second base on a passed ball. A popout to the pitcher threatened to end the Nittany Lions' scoring chances in the inning, but then junior catcher Sheila O'Hagan stepped to the plate. The 5-8 veteran sent a long, high drive well beyond the left field wall for a two-run home run. Drogalis walked in the next at bat and moved up to second on another passed ball during Trish Watson's at bat. Watson then came through with a two-out RBI of her own, singling to left to bring home Drogalis and give the Nittany Lions a 3-0 lead after one inning.
 
Penn State Abington (2-2, 0-0 NEAC) tacked on single runs in the third and fourth innings to extend their lead to five by the end of the game. In the third, it was O'Hagan once again sending a ball flying into deep left center. This time, the ball bounced just short of the outfield wall, giving O'Hagan a double and bringing Mariellen Medernach home from first. Then in the fourth, Sam Kidd got all the way to second base on a fielding error, made it to third on a groundout, and came home on a passed ball to make the score 5-0 in favor of the Nittany Lions.
 
Meanwhile, Drogalis was throwing darts from the rubber. Valley Forge (0-2) managed no hits at all off the 5-9 pitcher, while Drogalis struck out eight Patriots batters. Drogalis ended the game by getting her final five outs via the strikeout, earning her first victory of the season.
 
The Nittany Lions started game two of the doubleheader off in a similar fashion to the first. Penn State Abington exploded for four runs in the first on the way to a 6-0 victory, while Drogalis also earned her second victory of the day from the pitching rubber. The Blue and White opened the game by getting their first four batters all safely on base, and those four all scored before an out was even recorded. Cara Fiala and Virginio each singled to lead off the game, and then Medernach put up the big hit of the inning, a double that sent Fiala and Virginio home. From there, O'Hagan singled, putting runners on first and third. A series of errors brought both Medernach and O'Hagan home to score, and by the time the first inning finally ended, the Nittany Lions had put a four-spot up on the board.
 
Both pitchers put together good outings for the next few innings, keeping each side scoreless until the bottom of the fourth. The Nittany Lions got a few insurance runs in their last at bats, with Medernach once again scoring on a passed ball and Sam Kidd singling home sophomore Jessica McGarrity to make the score 6-0 in favor of the home team. In Valley Forge's last chance in the top of the fifth, Drogalis ended the day by once again striking out the side and earning the sweep of the doubleheader.
 
With the win, the Nittany Lions even up their record to 2-2, and they'll get their next chance to get over .500 when they hit the diamond once again for a doubleheader against Cedar Crest on Tuesday, March 19^th. The first game is set to start at 3:00 pm, and you can get all your updates on the Nittany Lions softball campaign her at abingtonsports.com.