Lady Lions finished Du Bois series, 3-1

By: Matylda Zamudio

MONACA, Pa. – The Penn State Beaver women's softball team split on Senior Day in their last two games of the Du Bois series on Wednesday afternoon. Brittany Zahn, Carley Schroeder, Vanessa Jackson, Brittany Garza and Torey Cassidy were the five seniors honored in the team's last game of the regular season.

The Lady Lions won game one by 7-3.

Beaver struck first in the bottom of the second, senior Brittany Zahn (New Brighton) laid down a sacrifice bunt to send senior Vanessa Jackson (Snohomish) to second and collect Beaver's second out, prompted senior Carley Schroeder (Freedom), who went up to bat next, to single-in Jackson for the first run of the game (1-0). Du Bois tied up the game in the top of the third, but Beaver answered back and regained the lead after freshman Michelle Cisco (Churchville/C. Milton Wright) hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to more freshman Tyler Johnson (San Antonio/East Central) to third and drive-in junior Lacey Weible (Hookstown/South Side) to make it a one-run lead for Beaver (2-1). Beaver then got on the board again in the fifth on another Cisco sacrifice hit, bunting-in Tyler Johnson to put the Lady Lions ahead by two (3-1). Du Bois hit back the top of the sixth and managed to tie the game at 3-3, but Beaver got the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning. Then, Tyler Johnson singled on an error by the right fielder, putting Weible on third and driving-in freshman Taylor Johnson (San Antonio/ East Central) and freshman Peyton Mattson (Irvine/University) for two runs (5-3). Senior Brenna Cepull (Monaca/Central Valley) took her turn at bat next and grounded out to Du Bois' shortstop to send Tyler Johnson advanced to third, who then scored on an error by the first baseman and Weible home (7-3). The defense then held off Du Bois' offense in the final inning and took game one 7-3.

Tyler Johnson led the way for Beaver in the first game, where she went 3 for 3 and recorded 2 RBIs followed by Cisco, who also went 1 for 2 at bat with 2 RBIs in the game.

Jackson took the mound for Beaver in game one (W, 19-2), where she pitched a complete game, allowed eight hits and struck out two of the 30 batters she faced.

But the Lady Lions cooled down in game two, where took an 8-0 loss.

Beaver struggled defensively and gave up three runs in the second followed by another five over the third, fourth and fifth two innings. The Lady Lions combined for only two hits in the game, one of which came from Weible, who was the opening batter in the first and singled, and freshman Taylor Johnson (San Antonio/ East Central), who singled as the second batter in the bottom of the third.

Beaver finished 29-11 overall for the season and as the first seed in the PSUAC conference at 17-3.

The Lady Lions are now headed to the postseason, and their first game will take place at Heindl Memorial Park to compete in the PSUAC Semi-Finals on Sunday, April 5. The game is slated for 1 p.m.