Beaver drops first PSUAC game of the season

Bert DeSalvo, staff writer 

Friday, April 29, 2011   

Altoona, PA - Penn State Hazleton defeated the Penn State Beaver softball team, 3-1, in eight innings to put Beaver in the loser's bracket in the Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) Softball Championship. 

Both teams began with a slow offense, but Beaver threatened in the third inning with the bases loaded and no outs. Sophomore Ashley Watkins (Seneca Valley High School/Cranberry Township, PA) scorched a line drive back to pitcher Emily Roat who snared the ball and converted it into a double play. With two outs, Beaver loaded the bases again but never scored.

Hazleton plated the first run of the game in the fifth inning when first baseman Tiffany Donnelly hit a line drive single up the middle for a slim 1-0 lead. 

Beaver responded in their half of the fifth as Watkins doubled down the left field line, scoring Lauren Pier (New Brighton High School/New Brighton, PA) to tie the game at 1-1. 

Hazleton looked to go ahead in the sixth, but Jamie Karpinski (Quigley Catholic High School/Beaver, PA) made a tremendous catch at the fence to get the second out of the inning. Starting pitcher Alyssa Carver (New Brighton High School/New Brighton, PA) induced the final out for Beaver to keep the score tied. 

Beaver threatened in the sixth inning when freshman Myranda Raymond (Brashear High School, Pittsburgh, PA) led off with a single up the middle. However, with one out, Hazleton's catcher matched Karpinski's fine play by catching a pop-out and doubling up Raymond at first to end the inning. 

Beaver had an opportunity to end the game in the seventh when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Roat forced out the game-winning run at home to force extra innings. 

In the eighth inning, Hazleton scored two runs, the second coming on an Alyssa Rodzewich RBI infield single to put Hazleton up 3-1. 

Beaver loaded the bases in their half of the eighth, but Roat struck out the next two Beaver batters and retired the next to earn the complete game win. Roat finished the game with nine strikeouts and allowed only one earned run while walking four. 

The loss marks Beaver's first in the conference this season. Beaver (21-10 overall, 14-1 PSUAC) will take on Penn College in the loser's bracket game, 5 p.m., Friday, April 29.