ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona softball team had its six-game win streak snapped on Sunday afternoon, when the Lions suffered a pair of losses at the hands of Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Penn State Behrend.

Behrend (24-10, 15-1 AMCC) muscled past the Lions for a 10-2 victory in game one. Game two followed a much more competitive plot, but Penn State Altoona (20-14, 10-4 AMCC) wound up on the losing end of a 9-7 decision.

Game One: Penn State Behrend 10, Penn State Altoona 2

The Lions scored a run in the top of the first, but things went south for Penn State Altoona after that, as Behrend put nine runs on the board over its first three innings to jump out to an eight-run lead. The home team went on to defeat Penn State Altoona by eight in five innings.

Karli Storm (Chest Springs, PA/Cambria Heights) went 1-for-2 with her seventh home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored. Madison Kennedy (Williamsburg, PA/Central) and Olivia Werkheiser (Easton, PA/Wilson Area) also had one hit apiece for the Lions, and Riley Best (Coalport, PA/Glendale) drew two walks and scored a run.

Josselyn Nau (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) suffered the loss in the pitching circle, after tossing three innings, yielding six earned runs, and recording one strikeout. Kendal Wadsworth (Johnstown, PA/Richland) pitched one inning in relief.

Penn State Altoona made it 1-0 in the top of the first, thanks to Storm's two-out solo homer down the left-field line.

But Behrend worked its way on top in the bottom half of the first. Hannah Smith's sacrifice fly to left tied the score before Meghan Swain's RBI single gave the home team the lead. Swain scored on an error in the next at-bat, increasing Behrend's advantage to 3-1.

Behrend added to its lead in the next two innings. In the second, Julia Jones' RBI single to center made it 4-1. In the third, Athena Iverson's sac fly to center preceded a two-run single from Alexia Brown and a two-run double by Chloe Nale to boost Behrend's lead to 9-1.

Penn State Altoona got a run back in the top of the fourth. Best started the inning with a walk, and Kennedy's base hit to center put runners at the corners. Lauren Davidson (Clearfield, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) brought a run home with her groundout to second, and the Lions put the score at 9-2.

But Behrend activated the eight-run rule in the bottom of the fifth, when Brown's RBI double to left gave the home squad a 10-2 victory.

Game Two: Penn State Behrend 9, Penn State Altoona 7

The Lions outhit Behrend by an 11-9 margin in the game, and Penn State Altoona overcame an early 4-0 deficit to build a 7-6 lead by the sixth inning. But Behrend used a three-run bottom of the sixth to get back on top, and the Lions ultimately took their second loss of the day.

Alexa Baney (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle) led the Penn State Altoona bats with a 3-for-4 performance with two runs scored. Best went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI, and a run scored, Kennedy hit 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, and a run, and Allison Beeman (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) finished 2-for-4. Storm walked twice, scored two runs, and stole a base.

Best started the game in the circle and finished with a no-decision, going three innings, surrendering three earned runs, and recording two strikeouts. Kennedy finished things off and took the loss, yielding five runs across the last three innings of the contest.

Back-to-back RBI doubles by Smith and Swain propelled Behrend to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, and Brown's two-run single to center in the second made it 4-0.

Penn State Altoona got back into the game with a two-out rally in the top of the third. With two away, infield hits from Baney and Gracie Wilt (Altoona, PA/Altoona) and a walk by Storm loaded the bases for the Lions. Best cleared them with her double to center, and Kennedy's RBI double to right tied the score at 4-4.

The score remained tied until the fourth, when Behrend scored a pair of runs with two outs. Izabel Pozar came home on a wild pitch, and Jones hit an RBI single to right to give the home team a 6-4 lead.

Penn State Altoona responded with two runs of its own in the top of the fifth. Storm drew a leadoff walk and scored three batters later on Davidson's sac fly to center, and a two-out RBI base hit from Audrey Walker (Mill Hall, PA/Central Mountain) later in the frame evened the score at 6-6.

The Lions took their first lead of the contest in the top of the sixth. Baney started the inning with a single to center, moved up to second on a wild pitch, then advanced to third on Wilt's sac bunt. Two batters later, Kennedy's fielder's choice allowed Baney to score, and Penn State Altoona carried a 7-6 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

However, Behrend came up big with two outs again, this time striking for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to leap back into the lead. Jones' two-RBI double to left center got the home team on top, and Swain's RBI hit to center made it 9-7.

The Lions were retired in order in the top of the seventh, and Penn State Altoona was forced to settle with a tough loss.

Next up, Penn State Altoona softball closes its regular season schedule with a pair of AMCC games at home this Tuesday, April 28, as the Lions will host nearby conference rival Mount Aloysius College for a doubleheader at Stewart Athletic Field starting at 3 p.m. The team will also hold its Senior Day at the games, recognizing Storm for her four-year career with the program.