ALLIANCE, Ohio – Mount Union's softball team swept Penn State Behrend in a non-conference doubleheader, winning game one 4-2 and game two 9-6 on Wednesday evening.

The Purple Raiders (12-4) would strike first in game one when senior Lydia Brunner (Minerva) hit a three-run home run to left field in the bottom of the second inning, marking the first home run of her career, to take a 3-0 lead.

The Lions (7-7) would cut into the lead in the top half of the third when Hannah Smith hit a solo home run to cut the lead to 3-1. Mount Union would push their lead back out to three runs in the fourth inning when senior Emily Denney (Poland / Poland Seminary) hit an RBI double that scored Brunner. Penn State Behrend would once again cut the lead to two runs in the sixth inning when Lexi Edgett hit a sacrifice bunt RBI, but that is as close as they would get as the Raiders would go on to take game one 4-2.

Senior Kendyll Cahill (Groveport / Groveport Madison) got the start in the circle in game one for Mount Union and got the complete game win, giving up just two runs on four hits and struck out seven batters.

The Lions would strike first in game two, with a three run second inning with RBIs coming from Smith and Chloe Nale to take an early 3-0 lead. The Raiders would answer with a three-run inning of their own in the bottom half of the same inning, freshman Grace Bates (Mount Vernon) got it started with her first career home run, a solo shot to center field. Then, senior Sydney Mercer (Salem / West Branch) would hit a sacrifice fly RBI that scored Brunner and then senior Faith Reicosky (North Canton / Hoover) hit an RBI single that scored sophomore Allison Jones (Berlin Center / Western Reserve) to tie the game at three runs apiece.

Mount Union would then claim their first lead of the game in the following inning when Bates hit her second home run of the game, this time a two-run homer down the left field line, Brunner would then add to that lead by hitting her second home run of the day to left field to stretch the lead to 6-3. The Raiders would go on to add three more runs in the fourth inning the first coming off an RBI walk from freshman Ari Simpson (Cardington / Cardington Local), then sophomore Lindsay Jones (Berlin Center / Western Reserve) stole home for the second run of the inning and then Brunner would hit an RBI double that brought in senior Kaitlyn Culver (Girard) to make the lead 9-3.

Penn State Behrend would cut into the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Smith hit a three-run home run to left field, but that is as close as they would be able to get as the Raiders would go on to take game two 9-6.

Senior Brooklyn Schlabach (Apple Creek / Waynedale) got the start in the circle for Mount Union in game two and would give up three runs on four hits and strike out two in 1.2 innings of action. Simpson would come in to throw four innings in relief and would pick up her first career win, giving up three runs on three hits. Sophomore Emma Reemsnyder (Canton / GlenOak) would come in to throw a third of an inning and gave up just one hit. Junior Haleigh McCalla (Youngstown / Springfield Local) would come in to throw the final inning and would get her first save of the season, giving up zero runs on zero hits.

The Raiders hit the road next as they travel to Westerville to continue Ohio Athletic Conference play against Otterbein on Saturday, March 28 in a doubleheader with games beginning at 1 and 3 p.m.