WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The 2023 United East Softball Championship kicked off on Monday morning as the double-elimination style tournament saw four games played in Williamsport, Pa.
Top-seeded Penn College opened with a 5-0 win over No. 4 Penn State Abington while No. 2 Penn State Berks also took care of business as they downed No. 3 Penn State Harrisburg, 1-0.
The top two seeds then went to battle with berks upsetting Penn College 3-2 in a close contest. Harrisburg then earned a spot on day two as they eliminated Penn State Abington, 6-1, in the final tilt of the day.
Penn College and Penn State Harrisburg will be the first game on Saturday with the first pitch set for 11 AM. The winner of that game will take on Penn State Berks directly afterwards with the if necessary game to follow that one.
Find the box scores for each contest HERE:
GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3 | GAME 4
Game 1
Penn College - 5
Penn State Abington - 0
Scoring began in the third inning as the Wildcats took advantage of a bases loaded error to plate Jordan Specht from third. THey then added another run as a sacrifice fly from Hailey DeBrody scored Lexi Snyder.
The other three runs came three innings later, beginning with a Maddie Hurst that drove in Margaret Mangene. Later in the side, a Specht sac fly would drive home the fourth run and an Ivvy Morder double helped tally the final score.
Mackenzie Weaver got the win in the circle as she allowed just three hits in a complete game, shutout effort.
GAME 2
Penn State Berks - 1
Penn State Harrisburg - 0
This game was classified as a pitchers dual as two of the conference’s top hurlers went at it from the circle. Berks’ Briana Smith would end up with the win on the rubber, striking out eight and allowing just four hits to seal up the complete game win.
Her counterpart, Mackenzie Sawdey, had a solid day as well, allowing just five hits over 6.0 innings. Her one run allowed was the difference maker though as an Emily Smith double in the sixth drove home Peyton Vivian.
GAME 3
Penn College - 2
Penn State Berks - 3
In a bout between the top two seeds, things were even throughout the first two innings of play. An error with the bases loaded in the third though allowed Berks to notch the first score of the game and they capitalized as they’d plate another unearned run in the stanza.
In the bottom of the frame, Penn College was able to answer back as Snyder singled to right field, allowing a pair of Wildcats to cross home plate.
The final score came just one inning later as Veronica Maryanski drove a ball to right center that allowed Hayden Perrone to reach home from second.
Smith would pick up her second win of the day from the circle, holding Penn College scoreless through the final four innings of play.
GAME 4
Penn State Harrisburg - 6
Penn State Abington - 1
In the sole elimination game of the day, the Harrisburg bats got hot beginning with Krys Moore who had a solo shot to start the second inning. The Lions doubled their lead the next inning thanks to a Steph Reider sac fly.
Reider would grab another RBI in the fifth inning, singling to score Elaina Gates. One batter later, Martinez singled to score a pair of runs making it 5-0. Harrisburg would tack on one more run in the sixth courtesy of a Fisher single.
Abington attempted a final inning comeback, plating their first run on a Jenna Gorman RBI double but Carissa Yeager closed out the side from the circle.
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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 Clarks Summit University, Rosemont College, Rutgers University – Camden and Wilson College. Clarks Summit University is also an associate member in the sport of men’s tennis. The United East has also partnered with the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference in the sports of men's and women's lacrosse. For more information, please visit: gounitedeast.com