ASTON, Pa. -- Penn College softball split a pair of games to begin the United East Conference Softball Final Four Championship tournament on Friday. The third-seeded Wildcats defeated #2 Wilson, 3-2 in the second game of the day before falling to top seeded Penn State Brandywine, 4-1, in game three. The Wildcats improved to 32-6 and remain alive in the championship tournament resuming at 11 a.m., on Saturday.
Against #2 Wilson College,
The Wildcats rewrote the program record books with its 32nd victory of the season to set a new single-season high. PCT plated two runs in the first three batters as
Carissa Lusk and
Sofia Mileto both led off with a bse hit and both scored one batter later on a
Payton Crawford single.Â
Wilson tied the game with a run in the bottom of the first inning and another in the third. After two quick fourth and fifth innings, the Wildcats threatened again in the sixth as
Sam Shaw and
Arista Fine reached base with two outs and runners on the corner. Mileto batted a ball through the Wilson shortstop legs as Shaw scored the game-winner on the error.Â
Mackenzi Tice shut down the Phoenix in the seventh to pick up win number 21 in the circle after scattering five hits and striking out four in the victory. Fine led the Wildcat offense with a pair of hits.
Against #1 Penn State Brandywine,
The Wildcats had a quick turnaround for the second game of the tournament and struck early on a Crawford sac fly to score Lusk in the first inning, but it was the only run the offense could produce as they were held to just three hits against the Nittany Lions. Brandywine scored two runs in the bottom of the first and a pair of insurance runs in the sixth for a 4-1 victory.
Tice tossed five Ks in her second complete game of the day while Lusk, Mileto and
Ryleigh Rinker were the lone baserunners.
Up next: Penn College awaits the winner of #2 Wilson College and #5 Penn State Harrisburg in an elimination game on Saturday at 11 a.m.
