WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Penn State Berks was crowned the United East Softball Champions Sunday evening at Elm Park in Williamsport, Pa. Berks defeated Penn State Harrisburg, 7-0, in the semis before handing the reigning champions, Penn College, a 5-3 loss in the Final. Penn College defeated Penn State Abington, 9-1, in their semifinal before bowing out to Berks in the Final.
Penn State Berks has also earned the automatic qualifier for the United East and will represent the conference in the upcoming NCAA Division III Softball Championship. They will find out who they will square off against at 1 PM on Monday.
FINAL
Penn College - 3
Penn State Berks - 5
Scoring began in the second inning as both teams plated one. For Berks, Hayden Perrone was able to reach on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice that scored Briana Smith from third. For Penn College, Ivvy Morder hit a sacrifice fly to right field which allowed MacKenzie Weaver to cross home.
Berks pulled away in the fourth though as the Nittany Lions found three more runs. Perrone drove in another run as her single brought in Smith again. Two at-bats later, Susan Duncan cracked a single to center that allowed another two to score. Penn College halved the score as a Jordan Specht drove in Maddie Hurst in the fifth.
In the final inning, Perrone played hero once again as her single put up an insurance run to make it 5-2. Hayden DeBrody was able to collect an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh but the tying runs were left stranded.
Smith, who was also tabbed the Tournament Most Valuable Player, picked up her 16th win of the year for Berks as she struck out four in the 7.0 innings pitched.
SEMIFINAL 1 (6 Innings)
Penn State Abington - 1
Penn College - 9
The Wildcats came right out of the gates as a Jordan Specht single scored Olivia Hemstock in the first inning. They then increased the lead to 3-0 in the following frame, courtesy of an RBI double from Maddie Hurst who in turn was scored by Hemstock on a single. One inning later, Penn College tacked on two more runs as MacKenzie Weaver produced an RBI single and a catching error allowed Hailey DeBrody to touch home.
Abington broke up the shutout as Julia Gorman notched an RBI double, but Penn College answered in the bottom as Specht picked up her second RBI single of the season. That offense would spill into the next two innings as the Wildcats eventually went up by eight runs, ending the game by run-rule.
Hemstock and Specht finished with three hits a-piece and combined for three RBI. Weaver also finished with multiple hits, recording two on the morning.
Kyla Benner picked up the win in the circle as she struck out 11 through the 6.0 innings of work. She also pitched in on offense as she had an RBI single in the fifth.
SEMIFINAL 2
Penn State Harrisburg - 0
Penn State Berks - 7
Berks excelled both on offense and defense this contest, helping them punch their ticket to the Final. The scoring got started in the third frame as Peyton Vivian knocked in Arizona Shreck from second. Later in the side, with runners on second and third, Emily Strupp singled into right, scoring both runners. That same situation was nearly imitated three batters later as a Hayden Perrone single to right field scored two more to make it 5-0.
The Berks lead would increase by one in the fourth inning as Strupp notched her third RBI of the day as her single knocked home Shreck. The final run of the day would be walked in as Savannah Wilson earned a bases-loaded base-on-balls.
Briana Smith twirled all 7.0 innings for Berks, allowing just four hits while striking out five.
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The United East has nine NCAA Division III member institutions which include: Gallaudet University, Lancaster Bible College, Morrisville State, Penn College, Penn State Abington, Penn State Berks, Penn State Harrisburg, St. Mary's College of Maryland and Wells College. The United East also includes three associate members in the sport of men’s golf including Rosemont College, Rutgers University – Camden and Wilson College. The United East has also partnered with the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in the sports of men's and women's lacrosse and the North Atlantic Conference in men's tennis and women's tennis. For more information, please visit: gounitedeast.com.