MCKEESPORT, Pa. – New Kensington softball defeated Penn State Greater Allegheny on Tuesday in a doubleheader event, 4-1 and 9-6. New Kensington improves to 9-9 in the conference and 10-10 overall.
Game 1
Neither team was able to score for a majority of the game. With a constant 0-0 score, New Kensington was finally able to send runners home and put up a score in the last inning.
Lauren Torgent (Tartentum, Pa./Highlands) was first to score after rounding the bases and getting home on an error by Greater Allegheny. Natalie Heltebran (Irwin, Pa./Hempfield) made it to first on the error. Riplee Burkhart (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) then made it to base after a single to right field, allowing Heltebran to advance to second. Molly Collins (Verona, Pa./Riverview) earned three RBI with a homer. This sent New Kensington ahead, 4-0, with the bottom of the eighth left to play.
Greater Allegheny was only able to run in one player during the inning which left New Kensington as the game one winner, 4-1.
Collins went 1-for-4 which included her homer and three RBI.
Game 2
New Kensington had the winning advantage very early into the game.
In inning one, Heltebran tripled to right field, and Burkhart double sent her home. Scoring continued for New Kensington in the next inning.
Tori Young (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area) got on base with a single and advanced to second as Courtney Biswick (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) made her way to first. A ground out pushed both players to the next base. Auveonna Perkins (Arnold, Pa./Valley) then reached first on a fielder's choice. With bases loaded, Calle Zmenkowski (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel) had a sacrifice fly and Young scored. Biswick made it home right after off a Heltebran single. New Kensington was now up, 3-0. Bases were loaded once again after Burkhart walked. Perkins was able to score off a Collins single. Burkhart was the final player to get home, and New Kensington was leading 5-0 heading into the bottom of the second.
Greater Allegheny sent its first player home during the fourth inning, but New Kensington kept its lead alive by running in another two in the fifth.
Young made it to base off a single and stole second. Torgent soon reached first, and Young headed to third. Off an error, Young scored and Perkins made it to first. Torgent advanced to third during the play and eventually scored when Perkins was caught stealing second. New Kensington was in charge, 8-1, with two innings remaining.
During the bottom of the sixth, Greater Allegheny had a big inning. It ran in four and started to close in on New Kensington, 8-5, but New Kensington used the final inning to run in another score.
After reaching first on a fielder's choice to shortstop, Zmenkowski scored off a Burkhart single. In the bottom of the inning, Greater Allegheny scored just once, and New Kensington took the second victory of the day, 9-6.
Heltebran led New Kensington in hitting by going 3-for-5 and had an RBI. She also tripled and ran in two. Zmenkowski, Burkhart, and Young all went 2-for-4. Burkhart led with two RBI along with Collins. While pitching, Andrea Eiler (Eau Claire, Pa./Moniteau) struck out four.
New Kensington will return to play on Saturday, Apr. 24 to face off with Penn State Beaver. The first game is set for 2 p.m., while game two's first pitch will take place at 4 p.m.
Written by Janet Surma
