PSU Beaver Lady Lions go 1-1 in Day 1 of USCAA Small College World Series

By: BJ Bertges

Akron, OH-  On day 1 of the USCAA Small College Softball World Series, Beaver began their day in game 1, facing #2 seeded Lindenwood-Bellville.

Beaver opened the game scoring two in the first frame.  Sophomore Lauren Pier (New Brighton/New Brighton, PA) led the game off with a double.  Senior Lindsey Scialdone (Ellwood City/Ellwood, PA) followed with a sacrifice bunt, moving Pier to third.  Sophomore Myranda Raymond (Brashear/Pittsburgh, PA) stashed a two out double, scoring Pier.  Junior Korey Freyermuth (Perry/Pittsburgh, PA) then followed with a single, scoring Raymond.  Belleville answered with one in the bottom of the inning, putting the score at 2-1.  Beaver remained in control until the third inning at which time Belleville exploded for 6 runs on 7 hits to take a 7-2 lead.  Bellville made it 8-2 in the fourth, scoring one.  Beaver cut into the lead in the fifth, when Pier led off with a single, was moved over by a sacrafice bunt by Scialdone, and then knocked in by a single by Senior Ashley Watkins (Seneca Valley/Cranberry Twp, PA).  On a positive note, in the 8-3 loss, Pier and Watkins each had two hits.  Unfortunately, the Loss derailed Beaver to the losers bracket.

In game 2 of the day, Beaver faced off with #6 seeded St. Joe's Brooklyn in an elimination game.  This game turned out to be  a pitchers duel, with the score remainging tied at 0 until the 5th inning.  In the bottom of that inning, Beaver struck first.  Freshman, Sydney Brinton(Brashear/Pittburgh, PA) led off the inning reaching on an error.  Freshmen, Rachel Borrell (East Downingtown/Downtingtown, PA) and Nicole Bowersox (Penns Valley/Penns Valley, PA) followed with a single loading the bases.  With one out, Scialdone put he ball in play to score the first run of the contest to give Beaver the 1-0 lead.  Beaver scored two clutch insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Raymond led the inning off with a triple followed by Freyermuth who successfully pulled off a suicide squeeze scoring Raymond.  Brinton reset the table for Beaver with a triple of her own.  This time it was Senior, Jamie Karpinski (Quigley Catholic/Beaver, PA) puling off the squeeze scoring Brinton.  This game, Beaver had a 3-0 lead heading into the final inning.  Beaver needed all three runs as St. Joe's mounted a 2 run rally coming up short as Beaver walked away with a 3-2 victory.  In the win, Freyermuth pitched 7 innings giving up 6 hits, 2 earned runs while striking out 4.  Offensively, Raymond lead with 2 hits. 

Beaver takes the field again, Wednesday morning at 10 am against #5 seeded Briarcliffe College in an elimination game with the winner advancing to the quarter  finals.