Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Abington, Pa. - With the Nittany Lions looking to strengthen their case for the postseason, they were looking for a standout performance from a player or two to carry them along the way. In stepped sophomore pitcher Michaela Drogalis, who threw all of fourteen shutout innings earlier this afternoon in Abington's 3-0 and 6-0 victories over Wilson College. Trish Watson helped lead the offensive effort, going 4-for-5 with a run and three RBIs.
 
Penn State Abington (15-12, 9-5 NEAC) got on the board early on in game one. Mariellen Medernach opened things with a leadoff walk. Then, Alyssa Virginio laid down a perfect bunt single. Medernach advanced to second easily, then made it all the way home when the Phoenix third baseman threw the ball away trying to get Virginio out. Sheila O'Hagan followed things up with a single, and then stole second base. Watson stepped to the plate next and lifted a fly ball into right field to score Virginio. Then, O'Hagan came home on a wild pitch to make the score 3-0 by the time Wilson finally got out of the Phoenix.
 
With Drogalis in the circle pitching, the Phoenix (10-12, 10-4 NEAC) simply had no shot at erasing their deficit. The sophomore righty set down the first seven batters she faced, and did not allow her first hit until the top of the fifth inning. When all was said and done, Michaela pitched a two-hit shutout, walking just one batter and striking out four. Her fantastic pitching did not stop there, as game two proved to be simply a continuation of dominance.
 
In the second half of the doubleheader, it was Abington once again jumping out to an early lead. With one out in the first inning, Virginio was hit by a pitch and O'Hagan singled to bring Watson to the plate with two on. The senior right fielder laced a deep line drive between right and center field, scoring Virginio and O'Hagan and giving the Nittany Lions a 2-0 lead. The hosts would expand that lead even further over the next two innings. In the second, Virginio belted a double of her own, driving in Ashley Beyer for a 3-0 lead. Then, in the third, Beyer doubled in two RBIs and later scored on an error by the Phoenix.
 
Drogalis came through with yet another masterful performance in the game. Once again, she set down the first seven batters in order, and this time did not give up a hit until the top of the sixth inning. Once again, Drogalis finished with an almost identical two-hit shutout, walking just one batter and striking out six. With the pair of victories, the Nittany Lions push their record to 15-12 overall and 9-5 in the NEAC conference. This puts them just a game back of Wilson for second place in the south Division with just over a week of play remaining. Abington will get a chance to continue their upward climb tomorrow when they celebrate Senior Day and host Penn State Berks. The games will be played at Helen Randle Park in Newtown, Pa., with game one getting underway at 1:00 pm.