Lady Lions finish fourth in USCAA

On Thursday, May 7 the Penn State Beaver Lady Lions finished their 2009 season with a split at the USCAA National Tournament in Decatur, IL when they defeated Southern Virginia University, 1-0, but were defeated by St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, 6-4.

In game one, Beaver took on the Southern Virginia University Knights in an elimination game whose winner would advance to the quarter finals. Southern Virginia defeated Beaver twice earlier in the year.

The game was a defensive struggle. In the first inning, the Knights got runners on second and third with one out, but sophomore pitcher Kayla Chambers (South Side High School, Hookstown, PA) induced an infield fly and then a strikeout to end the innings and keep the game scoreless.  

In the top of the third, the Knights loaded the bases with three consecutive singles. Beaver's defense then clamped down, starting with a 5-2-3 double play by senior Melissa Swoager (South Side High School, Hookstown, PA), junior Alonna Verrico (Rochester High School, Rochester, PA), and freshman Lindsey Scialdone (Lincoln High School, Ellwood City, PA) to record the first two outs of the inning. The final out was recorded with two runners in scoring position when freshman Scialdone made a diving catch in foul territory to shut down the threat. 

Beaver scored in the bottom of the third. Junior Jen Hain (Northgate High School, Pittsburgh, PA) led off the inning with a triple. Swoager (South Side High School, Hookstown, PA) reached first on a fielder's choice as Hain was caught in a run down and tagged for the first out. Scialdone then doubled to put runners at second and third with one out. Verrico bunted in Swoager for the first run of the game, as Beaver led 1-0 after 3. Chambers took it from there, retiring the final twelve batters in order to record the shutout.

The win set up a quarter final match-up with last year's champion, St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. Beaver scored twice in the top of the second inning on freshman Alysia Policaro's (Beaver Falls High School, Beaver Falls, PA) two-run single that allowed freshman Katie Landis (Rochester High School, Rochester, PA) and Jamie Karpinski (Quigley Catholic High School, Beaver, PA) to score. St. Mary's scored five times in the third for a 5-2 lead.  

Beaver got one back in the fourth, scoring again off a single by Policaro. St. Mary's added one in the fifth to take a 6-3 lead.  

In the seventh inning, it appeared that Beaver was rallying. Swoager led off with a double and Scialdone grounded out to move Swoager to third. Verrico ripped a liner in the hole between first and second that scored Swoager, but the second basemen dove and robbed a single and threw Verrico out at first. Landis then grounded out to end the game and the  Lady Lions season.

Beaver fell by the final score of 6-4.  In the loss, Landis, Swoager, and Policaro each had two hits. 

The loss eliminated Beaver from competition. The women, who had a 29-19 overall record, finished fourth in the eight-team tournament. Chambers, who was named to the All-Tournament team, was 2-1 with a 1.90 ERA during the USCAA Tournament.