STEUBENVILLE – The Franciscan softball team dropped its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opening doubleheader after a late-game rally by Penn St.-Behrend, Friday afternoon. The Lady Barons fell 10-2 in the opening game before surrendering the nightcap, 12-10.

Franciscan used a three-run first, and five-run second inning to build an 8-2 lead early in the second game. Sophomore Kathleen Thompson kicked things off for the Lady Barons in the second inning with an RBI infield single that brought home freshman Allyson Weiss. Sophomore Anna Fluharty followed with a two-run home run over the left field fence to push the FUS lead to 6-2. Sophomore Ashley Kondracki doubled to right and classmate Kayla Anderson moved her to third with a single up the middle. Freshman Andi Queen brought Kondracki and Anderson home for the 8-2 Lady Baron lead.

Behrend got four runs back in the top of the third and one in the sixth to cut the Franciscan lead down to 8-7.

Franciscan pushed its lead back to 10-7 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Dennise Carrazco and Weiss led off the inning with a pair of walks before Thompson moved the pair up a base with a sacrifice bunt. The Lady Barons took advantage of a wild pitch and their speed on the base baths as both Carrazco and Weiss came around to score off a wild pitch. The Lions were able to work themselves out of trouble in the sixth and the game headed to the seventh with the Lady Barons in the lead, 10-7.

The Lions got the two runs back in the top of the seventh plus three more for five runs on four hits and a pair of Lady Baron errors to take their first lead of the game, 12-10.

Sophomore Jayln Effertz led off the seventh with a single to left and promptly stole second before moving to third on junior Anna Ames' sacrifice bunt. Franciscan was unable to capitalize on the runner on third as the next two batters grounded out to third to end the game.

In the opening game, Weiss got the Lady Barons on the board first with her first career home run to give Franciscan a 1-0 lead after one fun inning. The Lions erupted for 10 runs on eight hits in the second inning to take a commanding 10-1 lead. Franciscan got one run back on a wild pitch in the third but Behrend put the final touches on the scoring with a solo home run in the fourth for the 11-2 win.

Weiss went 3-for-5 at the plate between the two games for the Lady Barons while Thompson finished the day 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI.

Franciscan returns to action on Sunday as the Lady Barons host Pitt.-Bradford in a 1:00 pm AMCC doubleheader.