Penn State Scranton Softball Fall in Playoff Battle

By: Ross Turetsky, Penn State Scranton Athletics

DuBois, Pa - On a picture-perfect Friday afternoon, the Penn State Scranton Lions softball team took Heindl Field in Du Bois, PA for their big PSUAC playoff championship tournament elimination game showdown against conference foe Penn State Mont Alto, as the Lions lost a tough 10-1 battle to conclude their solid 2025 campaign. Earlier this year, Scranton dropped both ends of their conference opening road doubleheader at Mont Alto from back on April 1^st by a 14-9 margin in game one and a close 8-5 defeat in the game two nightcap. Veteran head coach Mar Tsakonas' improving Scranton program finished their playoff bound season on a mini three game losing skid, as their overall record was 7-21 and 5-9 in their crucial league play schedule.

Mont Alto kicked-off the scoring with a hat trick of runs in the bottom half of the second inning before Scranton tallied a run of their own to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the third frame. However, the game deciding inning would come in the bottom of the fourth when Mont Alto's offense would come alive and put up a whopping seven spot to give their squad the commanding 10-1 advantage they would enjoy by contest's end. Overall Mont Alto out hit Scranton by a miniscule 6-4 margin in the match.

The Lions from Scranton's quartet of hits came off the bats of stand-out sophomore pitcher Aryanna Bodge, senior third baseman Olivia Shimonis, sophomore shortstop Madison Kelsch, and freshman first baseman Abbylynn Colleran. Bodge went 1-3 at the dish and scored her team's lone run on the day. Shimonis was 1-2 at the plate, as she roped a nice RBI double in the third inning to knock in Bodge and cut the deficit to just 3-1 at the time. Kelsch and Colleran also went 1-2 at the dish and the Lions other base runner came when sophomore catcher Kaleena Lukasewicz was able to draw a walk.

Meanwhile, Mont Alto had five different players who were responsible for their six base hits during the festivities, as junior right fielder Abigail Cunningham, sophomore catcher Aiyana Young, freshman first baseman Cammble Sterner, fellow freshman, second baseman Hailey Spielman, and freshman shortstop Alyssa Wiles set the pace for their ball club. Cunningham led the way going a perfect 2-2 at the plate, scoring twice, and had an RBI. Young went 1-2, tallied a run, and drove one in. Sterner also was 1-2, scoring once, driving in a pair, and added a walk for good measure. Spielman went 1-2 on the day, cranking a big double, scored a run, and had a walk to boot. Last but certainly not least, Wiles had a flawless day at the plate, going 1-1, drew a couple of walks, scored once, and knocked a run in.

On the pitching side of things, Scranton started their ace Bodge on the mound and she took the loss tossing all four innings on the bump, allowing nine earned runs, six hits, and walked six batters in her gritty complete game effort. Meanwhile, Mont Alto's senior hurler Mackenzie Stake also went the distance, as she threw all five frames surrendering just one earned run, four hits, walked only one, and fanned eight Scranton batters in her dominant victorious performance on the hill.

Now Penn State Mont Alto's softball head coach Heath Newell and his 21-11 ball club, who sport a stellar 10-4 mark in all-important conference play, also won their second consecutive postseason contest on Friday by an 8-5 margin over league rival Penn State New Kensington, will next face off against Penn State Du Bois on Saturday, May 3^rd, in a crucial playoff tilt that kicks-off with a scheduled 12:15pm first pitch.