PSU Beaver Lady Lions go 1-1 in Day 1 of USCAA Small College World Series
Beaver fell to Lindenwood in Round 1, but bounced back against St. Joe's Brooklyn in Game 2.
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.