STARKVILLE, Miss. - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association released its 2012 Division III Softball All-Region Teams on Monday, and Penn State Altoona freshman first baseman Kelly Chambers (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle) earned a spot on the Third Team of the All-East Region.

Last week, Chambers was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference's Newcomer of the Year and also took First Team All-Conference honors.

Chambers is one of just two AMCC players named to the All-East Region squads this year, the other being Mount Aloysius College's Jalisa Westover, who was also a Third Team pick.

Chambers proved to be one of the elite hitters in the AMCC, leading the conference in hits (64), runs scored (43), doubles (19), home runs (10), and total bases (113). She finished first on her team and second in the conference with 51 runs batted in.

Chambers' 64 hits and 19 doubles in 2012 marked new single season highs for Penn State Altoona softball, and her 10 home runs and 51 RBIs tied all-time season highs.

To view the complete list of the 2012 NFCA Division III All-Region Teams, click HERE.

SCRANTON, Pa. - Entering the seventh inning of Sunday's game with #4 seed Neumann University, #2 seed Penn State Altoona softball clung to a 1-0 lead. But the Knights tied the game and came back to defeat the Lady Lions 5-3 in nine innings at Pacers Field in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III South Region Softball Tournament.

With the loss, Penn State Altoona was eliminated from the tournament.

Christina Stathes (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) led all hitters with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, and Jackie Smith (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

In the circle, Smith pitched a complete game for the Lady Lions, pitching all nine innings. Only one of the five runs she yielded was earned.

The Lady Lions broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning on Smith's two-out RBI double to left that scored Ala Miller (Muncy, PA/Muncy).

But in the top of the seventh, Neumann advanced a runner into scoring position with two outs and capitalized when Megan Williams tied the game at 1-1 with her RBI single to center.

The Knights scored two more runs in the eighth when Allie White plated a run with her single and another run scored on a wild pitch.

But the Lady Lions rallied by responding with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to keep the game going. Brittany Smith's (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) infield single to shortstop scored a run, and Kelly Chambers (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle) came up with a big two-out hit on her game-tying RBI single to right.

But Neumann came back for two more runs in the ninth to make it 5-3, and this time Penn State Altoona was unable to tie the game.

The Lady Lions finished 2012 with a 33-12 overall record, marking the most wins in a single season by any Penn State Altoona varsity team in athletics program history.

Photo: Penn State Altoona sophomore third baseman Christina Stathes led all batters with three hits in Sunday's loss to Neumann University.

SCRANTON, Pa. - Penn State Altoona softball took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning during Saturday's game against top-seeded Catholic University, but the #2 seed Lady Lions were overcome on the scoreboard and lost 4-2 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III South Region Softball Tournament at Pacers Field.

Kelly Chambers (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle) hit a two-out, two-run home run to left field in the top half of the first inning to give her team the early advantage.

Chambers' home run, her 10th of the season, ties a single season Penn State Altoona softball record. She now shares a spot at the top of the single season home runs category with former Lady Lions catcher Erin Cline, who hit 10 home runs in the 2010 season.

But Catholic used the long ball to strike back in the bottom half of the inning when Taylor Stockinger led off with a solo home run to left-center that cut Penn State Altoona's lead to 2-1.

Nina Curto helped the Cardinals take a 3-2 lead in the third inning. Her RBI double to left-center tied the game, and she came around to score on an illegal pitch.

Allie Cain's two-out RBI single down the left field line added an insurance run to Catholic's lead.

Penn State Altoona was unable to rally, losing their first game of the tournament.

The Lady Lions will face #4 seed Neumann University tomorrow, Sunday, May 13, in an elimination game at 10:00 AM. The winner of that contest will play Catholic at 12:00 PM and -- because of double-elimination rules -- must defeat them twice to win the championship.

Photo: Penn State Altoona freshman first baseman Kelly Chambers hit a two-run home run in the first inning on Saturday against Catholic University.

SCRANTON, Pa. - Starting pitcher Jackie Smith (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) and #2 seed Penn State Altoona softball shut out #3 seed Marywood University 3-0 on Saturday afternoon at Pacers Field in the Lady Lions' first game of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III South Region Softball Tournament.

Smith pitched a complete game, allowing five hits and two walks through seven scoreless innings.

The Lady Lions got all of the offense that they needed in the bottom of the third inning when they plated three runs. Brittany Smith (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) broke a scoreless tie with her two-run single to center. One batter later, Kelly Chambers (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle) doubled to center to bring home Smith.

Each team put up zeroes the rest of the way, and Penn State Altoona emerged with the win.

The Lady Lions will take on #1 seed Catholic University later today at 4:00 PM at Pacers Field.

Photo (courtesy of Marywood University Sports Information): Penn State Altoona junior pitcher Jackie Smith throws during her team's 3-0 win over Marywood on Saturday.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Eight members of the Penn State Altoona softball team were recognized for their individual achievements during the 2012 season when the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference released its All-Conference Team on Tuesday.

Leading the way was freshman first baseman Kelly Chambers (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle), who earned the conference’s Newcomer of the Year award and also earned First Team All-Conference honors. Chambers proved to be one of the elite hitters in the AMCC, leading the conference in batting average (.488), hits (61), runs scored (42), doubles (18), home runs (9), and total bases (106). She finished second on her team with 47 runs batted in and also posted a team-best .558 on-base percentage. In 146 plate appearances, she struck out only three times.

Chambers’ 18 doubles and .558 on-base percentage set single season records for Penn State Altoona softball.

Also named First Team was sophomore second baseman Brittany Smith (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte). Smith, who was last season’s AMCC Newcomer of the Year, put up stellar numbers in 2012. Her .453 batting average ranked third in the conference, and her 53 hits tied for third in the league. Smith’s .480 on-base percentage was the second-highest on the team, and her total of 13 doubles was tied for second on the squad. She scored 35 runs and added 28 RBIs and two home runs.

Getting the nod for Second Team All-Conference were junior pitcher Jackie Smith (Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg), sophomore third baseman Christina Stathes (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte), and sophomore shortstop Kahla Lutz (York, PA/West York).

Smith showed why she was Penn State Altoona’s staff ace in 2012, posting a team-best 15-4 record in 23 appearances. Her five shutouts led the AMCC, and her 2.30 earned run average in 137.0 innings pitched ranked second. In her 20 starts at pitcher, 17 resulted in complete games. Smith held opposing batters to a .224 batting average, and her total of 83 strikeouts was the fourth-highest in the conference.

One of the top highlights of Smith’s season was when she pitched the first perfect game in Penn State Altoona softball history on March 31 in a 17-0 win at Hilbert College.

Smith set the all-time school record for wins with 36 victories in her three-year Lady Lions career, and her 15 wins this season tied the single season high. She was named the AMCC’s Pitcher of the Week three times throughout the 2012 season, the most of any pitcher in the conference.

Stathes finished fourth on her team with a .364 batting average and provided some pop to the lineup with five home runs. Her 34 RBIs were fourth-best on the squad, and her .582 slugging percentage was fifth. Stathes was at her best when facing conference opponents; her .447 batting average against AMCC teams was second on the Lady Lions only to Chambers’ .520 clip.

Lutz finished third in the AMCC in RBIs with 49, which also ranked tops on her team. Her 38 runs scored was fifth-best in the conference, and she was tied for fourth in the league with 13 doubles. She ranked fifth in the AMCC in total bases with 80. Lutz started 41 games during the 2012 season, the most all-time by a Penn State Altoona softball player in one season. She proved to be one of the strongest defensive shortstops in the conference, leading her team with 84 assists and helping turn 11 double plays.

Making Third Team All-Conference were sophomore pitcher Allison Stugart (South Williamsport, PA/South Williamsport), freshman catcher Lily Glunt (Snow Shoe, PA/Bald Eagle), and freshman outfielder Alamaria Miller (Muncy, PA/Muncy).

During her first full season as a starting pitcher, Stugart became a strong second pitcher for Penn State Altoona and one of the most effective starters in the AMCC. Her 12 wins ranked third in the conference, and she finished fifth with 70 strikeouts. Stugart made 20 appearances, including 16 starts and 10 complete games. She compiled a 3.93 ERA in 103.1 innings pitched.

Stugart also pitched a perfect game, the second-ever in team history, during a 20-0 win over Franciscan University on April 3.

Glunt proved to be a versatile hitter for the Lady Lions in her first year with the team. She showed power by hitting six home runs, second-most on the team. She was third in RBIs on her squad with 37, and tied for second with 16 walks drawn. Her 40 runs scored was fourth-most in the AMCC.

Miller showed herself to be a consistent hitter during her freshman campaign with the Lady Lions. She finished third on the team and eighth in the AMCC with a .400 batting average. Her five triples set a single season Penn State Altoona softball record. She was also strong defensively, committing no errors in 31 games played.

To view the complete All-Conference Team, click HERE.

Photo: Penn State Altoona freshman Kelly Chambers was named the AMCC's Newcomer of the Year, marking the second season in a row that a Lady Lion has won the honor.