Greater Allegheny Softball Edged-Out by Beaver

Monaca, Pa. - Despite a very close game two, the Penn State Greater Allegheny softball team dropped two Penn State University Athletic Conference matches to Penn State Beaver, Friday afternoon, by tallies of 16-3 and 16-15.

Freshman catcher Kaylin Bob (Atlanta, Ga./Forest Park) singled before she stole second. Freshman shortstop Jen Keefer (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) singled to push Bob to third. With a sophomore third baseman Marina Rinaldi (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia High School for Girls) single, Bob scored the first run of the game, GA up 1-0.

The bottom of the second brought three Penn State Beaver runs to put them ahead of GA, 3-1. The top of the third brought Keefer to first base on an error. Junior right-handed pitcher Shelby Bendick (White Oak, Pa./McKeesport Area) doubled to bat home Keefer. Rinaldi was hit-by-pitch before sophomore second baseman Lauren Antosik (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) reached first on an error, GA bases loaded. As freshman center-fielder Albree Weisen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Carrick) walked to first base, she batted home Bendick to tie the tally at three.

The top of the fourth brought eight Beaver runs as they catapulted above Greater Allegheny 11-3. Beaver managed to keep GA scoreless as they dropped four more runs in the top of the fourth inning, ending game one at a 15-3 Beaver advantage.

Bendick faced 34 batters through four innings of actions, sitting down one on strike-out. Rinaldi and Weisen went 1-for-2 with an RBI as Bob went 1-for-2 with a run tallied. Bendick hit 1-for-3 with a set of RBIs and a run scored.

Game two started with Greater Allegheny up to bat. Senior right-handed pitcher Kelli Hall (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) and Bob walked to fill the first two bases. Keefer singled before Rinaldi reached first on a fielder's choice, scoring Bob. Antosik singled to bat home Bendick, putting GA up in game two, 2-0.

Beaver managed four in the bottom of the first before the top of the second inning. Hall singled before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Keefer doubled to push Hall home as Bendick slammed a home-run, scoring Keefer as well, GA ahead 5-4.

Three runs were marked by the home team before GA came back in the top of the third. Weisen reached first base on an error before she advanced all the way to third. With a freshman right-fielder Emily Taylor (Aliquippa, Pa./Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter) single, Weisen scored. Hall and Bob both reached first on errors before Keefer singled to bring home Hall, evening the margin at seven.

Beaver went on to post seven runs to advance the score to 14-7 as they held GA scoreless until the top of the fifth. Hall doubled before advancing on a passed ball. Keefer singled to bring home Hall as Bendick and Rinaldi both singled to fill the bases. Antosik and Weisen both singled to push Keefer and Bendick to score. Hall walked to score Rinaldi, GA inching back 14-11.

The GA defenese held the home team scoreless in the bottom of the fifth inning before Keefer reached first on a fielder's choice and Bendick and Rinaldi walked to fill the bases. Antosik singled to bat in Keefer as Weisen singled to bat in both Rinaldi and Bendick, evening the match at 14.

A Beaver single batted home two runs in the bottom of the sixth as Greater Allegheny managed just one in the top of the seventh, closing the back-and-forth game at a Beaver advantage, 16-15.

Hall faced 48 batters through six innings pitched as she batted 2-for-5 with three runs scored. Keefer went 4-for-6 with four runs and three RBIs as Antosik hit 4-of-6 with three runs batted in. Bendick hit 2-for-4 with four runs scored and two runs batted in. Weisen finished game two hitting 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and one run scored.

Greater Allegheny (0-13, 0-10) travels to Penn State New Kensington for another Penn State University Athletic Conference show-out. First pitch of game one is set for 12 p.m.