Top seeds Lock Haven and Kutztown won their respective first games on Saturday to advance to the PSAC softball tournament finals while Bloomsburg, the No. 2 seed out of the Central Division, defeated California (Pa.), the No. 1 seed from the West, twice on Cal's home field to round out the field for next Sunday's PSAC softball championship.
Lock Haven will host the three-team, single-elimination tournament on Sunday, May 3. Kutztown will be the No. 2 seed and will take on No. 3 seed Bloomsburg in the first game at 1:00 p.m. The winner will then face Lock Haven, the No. 1 seed immdiately following the first game for the league championship.
At Kutztown, Pa.
Game 4 - Kutztown 3, Edinboro 1 (Edinboro eliminated)
Kutztown scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie and walk off the field with a 3-1 win over Edinboro to eliminate the Fighting Scots. Mary Hoch pitched a complete game four-hitter, allowing just four hits and the one run, walking none and striking out seven. Krista Cameron went 2-for-2 and had Kutztown's only RBI of the game, as the Golden Bears scored their two run in the bottom of the seventh off an error.
Edinboro scored its only run of the game in the second off an RBI double by Jade Thrower. Kutztown tied it in the fourth as a Cameron sacrifice fly scored Maria Schiavo, who had led off the inning with a single. In the bottom of the seventh, Steph Denlinger drew a walk to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice. She went to third on a single by Cameron and then a fly ball to center off the bat of Maggie Reifsnyder was dropped, allowing both runs to score.
At Lock Haven, Pa.
Game 4 - Lock Haven 11, Shippensburg 1 (5) (Shippensburg eliminated)
Kristin Erb pitched a five-inning complete game, allowing just two hits and one run and the Lock Haven offense pounded four different Shippensburg pitchers for 14 hits and 11 runs as Lock Haven topped the Lady Raiders 11-1 in five innings to advance to the finals, which they will host next Sunday. Erb struck out four and allowed no walks in picking up her 39th win of the year.
Ilia Lopez went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Sarah Norris scored two runs, went 2-for-3 and had two RBI to lead the potent Lock Haven offense. Brittany Muthard had a home run and two hits and a pair of RBI while Julia Popovich also had two hits, two runs and two RBI for the Lady Eagles. Courtney Steele homered for Shippensburg's only run. A six-run fifth inning for the Eagles gave them the 10-run margin to end the game early.
At California (Pa.)
Game 4 - Bloomsburg 3, California 2
Tara Reed pitched a complete game three-hitter and Bloomsburg scored a single run in the bottom of the sixth inning after California had tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth as the Huskies forced a deciding second game with Cal with a 3-2 win in the first game.
Bloomsburg took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. After the first two hitters of the inning were retired by Cal pitcher Sonia Petrosoniak, the Huskies got three straight singles to load the bases. Petrosoniak was then replaced by Lauren Shaheen, who gave up a two-run single to Lori Neyhard.
In the top of the sixth, after Kayleigh Braim led off the inning with a single, Alyson Johnson homered to tie the game 2-2. Bloomsburg answered right back in the bottom of the sixth, as Nikki Shiko was hit by a pitch with one out and come all the way around from first to score on Neyhard's single to center after Neyhard got herself caught in a rundown. Reed then retired Cal in order in the seventh to end the game.
Game 5 - Bloomsburg 6, California 0 (California eliminated)
Shavaun Fisher tossed a two-hit complete game shutout and Bloomsburg jumped on the scoreboard early with a four-run second and never looked back as the Huskies cruised to a 6-0 win in the second game to eliminate the Vulcans and advance to next Sunday's finals.
A two-run double by Shen DeBaro and a two-run single by Danielle Lazroka produced Bloomsburg's four runs in the second inning. Lacy Mauro whacked a two-run home run in the fourth inning for two more runs. Five of Bloomsburg's six runs came off Sonia Petrosonaik, who relieved starter Maria Greco with one out in the second. Lauren Shaheen came on with two outs in the fourth and threw the final 2.1 innings without allowing a run.
Fisher got stronger as the game went on, as she worked out of a jam in the first inning, pitching around an error to strand two baserunners. Fisher stranded four Cal baserunners in the first four innings before retiring nine straight Cal hitters in the fifth through seventh innings.