Scranton Softball Falls to Keystone

By: Ross Turetsky, Penn State Scranton Athletics

In a frigid spring Monday afternoon home matinee, the Penn State Scranton Lions softball squad lost 12-6 to local non-conference foe the Keystone College Giants. The second game of the planned doubleheader against Keystone ended up getting called early for darkness before it became an official game. With the tough defeat, Scranton sees their mini two game winning streak snapped and their overall record now moves to 3-12 and they remain all knotted up at 2-2 in their crucial league play schedule so far this season.

After Keystone jumped on the scoreboard first by plating a run in the top half of the opening frame, the Lions from Scranton came roaring right back, tallying a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, and then jumping out to a robust 6-1 advantage after scoring four times in the second. The Lions were cruising heading into the top of the fifth, when suddenly the road warrior Giants came storming back in a big way, putting up an awe-inspiring seven spot to regain the lead at 8-6, and scored a quartet of key insurance runs in the seventh and final frame to seize the come-from-behind six run, 12-6, victory by contest's end. Overall Keystone out hit Scranton by the slimmest of margins in the ball game at 10-9.

Stand-out sophomore shortstop/third baseman Madison Kelsch led the way on the offensive side of the ball for her Lions, as she put up a stellar multi-hit performance going a near flawless 2-3 at the dish, walked once, scored a run, and knocked in a couple. The other seven Scranton base hits came off the bats of their sophomore pitcher Aryanna Bodge who went 1-3 and tallied a run, freshman first baseman Abbylynn Colleran who was 1-1 at the plate, stalwart senior infielder Olivia Shimonis was 1-4 and scored once, sophomore catcher Genevieve Moyles also went 1-4 and smashed a big two run double in the first inning to give her team their first lead, freshman second baseman Kelsi Howe was 1-3, scored a run, and cranked a double, fellow freshman, right fielder Jaden Willis went 1-2, with a walk, and scored once, and senior left fielder Kathryn Lahey was 1-2 at the plate, with a walk, and an RBI. The Lions other RBI came from their sophomore center fielder Vanessa Hodges who crossed home once and drove one in with a bases loaded walk to bring home Willis and up her team's lead to 4-1 back in the bottom of the second.

Meanwhile, Keystone had a hat trick of players with impressive multi-hit ball games during the festivities, as junior shortstop Emily Schultz, senior second baseman Mara Brooks, and graduate student left fielder Isabella Mandarano set the pace offensively for their ball club. Schultz went 2-4, ripping a double, drew a walk, scored once, and had an RBI. Brooks also went 2-4 in the battle, tallying a run, and drove in three. Mandarano was 2-3 at the dish, with a double, a walk, a run scored, and had a trio of RBI in the contest. The Giants other four hits came off the bats of their graduate student first baseman Angelina Morley, freshman catcher Sam Ratti, junior center fielder Isabella Benitez, and fellow junior, right fielder Rachel Murray.

On the pitching side of things, Scranton started Bodge on the bump and she got the defeat, tossing a gritty 6 1/3 innings, allowing 10 earned runs, 10 hits, walked four, and fanned four Giants. Shimonis wrapped up the game throwing the final 2/3 innings of the match and not surrendering any runs or base runners in her strong relief outing. As for Keystone, they had their sophomore right-handed hurler Julia Gorel toe the slab first and she struggled in her one inning of work, giving up five earned runs, five hits, and walked a pair. Benitez came in relief and earned the victory pitching the final six frames of the contest, allowing just one earned run, four hits, two walks, and struck out five Scranton batters in her commanding effort on the mound.

Now veteran Penn State Scranton Lions softball head coach Mar Tsakonas and her 3-12 squad will look to bounce right back and improve their all-important conference record when they next go on the road this Thursday afternoon to face off against league rival Penn State Schuylkill in a rescheduled doubleheader from last weekend, with first pitch scheduled for a 3pm start time. Meanwhile, head coach Mariah Ford and her 4-10 Keystone College softball program, who are 2-1 in league play, will next take on non-conference foe Penn State Berks this Wednesday afternoon in a road doubleheader, with first pitch set for 3pm.