NEW BRIGHTON, Pa. – New Kensington baseball was hosted by Penn State Beaver on Friday and faced defeat in the two seven-inning matchups, 9-1 and 9-5. New Kensington is placed at 0-18 in conference play and 0-20 overall.
Game 1
New Kensington took its first and only lead of the game in the top of the third. Braden Tristani (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) singled and made it to first. He was able to progress to second when Tallon Auth (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) singled, and Tristani soon scored of a hit by AJ Collins (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills). Before Beaver was up to bat in the bottom of the inning, New Kensington was up, 1-0.
Its advantage was left behind after Beaver ran in three.
Within the next two innings, New Kensington was only able to get one hit.
Beaver pushed itself further ahead in the fifth and sixth innings by adding up six runs. This put Beaver in control, 9-1, with the seventh left to play for New Kensington to catch up.
Max Oliveri (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) singled during the inning, but New Kensington faced three outs before any plays could be made. Beaver finished with the win, 9-1.
Auth led New Kensington with two hits, and Collins had one RBI.
Game 2
Beaver used the bottom of the first to gain a 4-0 head start on New Kensington.
In the next inning, Thomas Santiago Jr. (Jersey City, N.J./M.E.T.S. Charter) singled for New Kensington. Off of a steal and a passed ball, Santiago quickly advanced to third. Mario Gomez (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J./Hasbrouck Heights) got the RBI, and Santiago scored the only run for New Kensington during the top of the second. Moving into the bottom, Beaver led, 4-1.
Beaver increased its lead even more during the inning by running in two. In the third, Beaver got another score off a homer and was ahead, 7-1.
New Kensington took advantage of the fifth inning to close in on Beaver. Gomez walked, and Auth reached first on an error. Off a single from Alex VanMeter (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar), Gomez scored, and Auth made his way to second. Reise Matson (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) walked and bases were loaded. Santiago got hit by the pitch which allowed Auth to score. New Kensington was now down, 7-3. VanMeter ran home next for New Kensington, and Branden Stipetich (Blawnox, Pa./Fox Chapel) got the RBI. Matson scored New Kensington's final run of the inning when Oliveri got hit by the pitch. At the end of the fifth, the score read 7-5 in favor of Beaver.
New Kensington was unable to get any hits in the sixth, but Beaver had three which allowed two players run in. With one last chance to surpass Beaver, New Kensington was down, 9-5, heading into the final inning.
New Kensington went against three outs in a row.
VanMeter was 1-for-2, had a run, and earned one RBI.
New Kensington will go head-to-head with Beaver once more on Saturday, Apr. 24 in another doubleheader. The games are set to take place at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Written by Janet Surma
