Beaver Splits Doubleheader with Northwestern College

On Wednesday, March 11 the Penn State Lady Lions had a loss and a win, 5-4 and 6-1, in a doubleheader against the Northwestern College Eagles (St. Paul, MN) in Fort Pierce, FL.

The day began badly when Lady Lions shortstop junior Jen Hain (Northgate High School, Pittsburgh, PA) was hit in the face with a one-hopper and required medical attention. Without Hain in the lineup, junior Laura Perkins (Monaca High School/Slippery Rock University, Monaca, PA) stepped in at third base and kept Northwestern off the scoreboard with two solid plays in the second and third innings.

Beaver sophomore Kayla Chambers (South Side High School, Hookstown, PA) kept Northwest at bay through four innings. In the top of the fifth, Beaver freshman Alysia Policaro (Beaver Falls High School, Beaver Falls, PA) reached base on a Northwest fielding error, and Taylor Rzeczkowski (Highland High School/Penn State New Kensington, Tarentum, PA) followed up with a single down the left field line to put runners at first and third.

Senior Melissa Swoager (South Side High School/Community College of Beaver County, Hookstown, PA) laced a ball down the left field line to score Policaro, giving Beaver a 1-0 lead. After Rzeczkowski scored on a throwing error to give Beaver a 2-point lead, junior Alonna Verrico (Rochester High School, Rochester, PA) smashed a 2-out double to bring Beaver ahead, 3-0 lead.

Chambers sent Northwest down in order in the fifth and in the sixth, struck out two Eagles batters to keep her shut-out intact. Beaver added another run in the bottom of the seventh, giving them a four-run cushion. However, the Eagles, who had only three hits through the first six innings, scored five runs off of four hits in their final time at bat. Northwestern's Jenny Kortus (Milaca High School, Milaca, MN) hit a two-run single to tie the game, then scored the game-winning run in a dramatic finish for the Eagles.

In the loss, Chambers recorded four strikeouts and thew 73 of 115 (63.4%) pitches for strikes. Rzeczkowski led the offensive attack going 2-2 and scoring a run in the process, but Beaver left nine runners on base.

In the second game, however, the Beaver Lady Lions put their loss behind them and dominated the Eagles. Swoager and Verrico scored Beaver's first runs on RBI's by Chambers and freshman Jessica Campbell (Beaver Falls High School, Beaver Falls, PA). On the mound, Swoager was efficient against Northwest College in the first four innings, throwing 62.5% of her pitches for strikes (25 strikes/40 pitches), and stranding four baserunners in the process.

In the fourth inning, Beaver was poised for a big inning but two costly baserunning mistakes allowed the Lady Lions just one run. In the fifth inning, the Eagles scored their only run of the game on an RBI single by Rhonda Morgan (Meadow Creek High School, Andover, MN). Assists by second baseman Perkins and third baseman Chambers ended any hope the Eagles might have had for a comeback.

Beaver retaliated in the bottom half of the fifth as freshman Jamie Karpinski (Quigley High School, Beaver, PA) hit a two-out, two-RBI triple to extend the Lady Lions' lead to 5-1. Beaver scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single from Verrico for a 6-1 lead. Swoager sat the Eagles' hitters down in order in the seventh inning to secure the win for Beaver.

Swoager (1-2) earned her first win of the season and threw only 78 pitches (50 for strikes), giving up only two hits in the process.

On Thursday, March 12 the Lady Lions (2-4) will face the Saxons of Alfred University (Alfred, NY) in a Coco Expo doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m.