Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Haverford, Pa. - The Penn State Abington softball team got their 2013 campaign off to a chilly start earlier this afternoon against the Fords of Haverford College. On a cold and windy afternoon where temperatures barely surpassed 40 degrees, Abington was outscored 25-0 over their two game doubleheader to open the season.
 
In the first matchup, Haverford freshman starter Emily Winesett and junior reliever Claire Fitzgerald combined to allow the Nittany Lions just two walks over five innings pitched, sharing a no-hitter to shut down the Abington offense. The game started out okay for Abington - although Ashley Quenzer struck out to open things, Alyssa Virginio was able to earn a walk, giving the Nittany Lions their first baserunner of the season. However, Winesett was able to get Mariellen Medernach to ground into a fielder's choice and struck out Sheila O'Hagan to end the inning for Haverford (2-0, 0-0 Cent.). When the Fords came up to bat for their turn in the bottom of the first, things went from bad to worse for Abington.
 
Elizabeth Newman was able to immediately get on first for Haverford, and although Abington (0-2, 0-0 NEAC) starter Michaela Drogalis was able to get a strikeout after that, the next six at bats all scored runs for the Fords. By the time the inning was over, Haverford had jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The rest of the game followed the same script. Abington came up empty in every one of their offensive attempts, while Haverford had innings of 6, 6, and 5 runs in the five-inning game. When all was said and done, Penn State Abington went out with a weak groundout to first to end the game, 17-0 in five innings. Errors were part of the problem all afternoon for the Nittany Lions, as they made four errors and gave up five unearned runs in the game.
 
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The second game of the doubleheader was more of the same for Penn State Abington. On the positive side, Ashley Quenzer got the Nittany Lions their first hit of the season with a leadoff single to right center. However, Haverford continued to shut down any semblance of an attack by Abington. The Nittany Lions stranded five baserunners and struck out nine times in the second game of the doubleheader.
 
Meanwhile, the Fords offense continued to roll on like clockwork. The Nittany Lions did hold Haverford scoreless in the first. Senior Mariellen Medernach started for Abington, giving up just two hits in her two innings pitched. However, the home team then managed put together innings of four, two, and two runs, and wound up winning the game in five innings again by a score of 8-0.
 
The Nittany Lions will get a little break before hitting the diamond once more, coming back to Abington on March 14^th for their home opener against Valley Forge Christian College. That doubleheader is set to start at 2:00 pm at Huntingdon Field. Be sure to keep checking in at abingtonsports.com for all your Nittany Lions athletics updates!