New Kensington softball falls to Beaver

MONACA, Pa. – New Kensington softball played its last away games of the season on Saturday as it took on Penn State Beaver. The host finished the doubleheader with two wins, 9-7 and 6-3. The losses drop New Kensington to 9-11 in conference play and 10-12 overall.

Game 1

Calle Zmenkowski (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel) was first to get New Kensington on the board. In the top of the first, a single got Zmenkowski to base and a fly out allowed her to score.

Beaver tied it up with New Kensington in the bottom of the second, 1-1.

Scoring resumed in the fourth inning by both teams. In the top of the inning, Courtney Biswick (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) doubled for New Kensington and made it home off a double by Lauren Torgent (Tarentum, Pa./Highlands). Torgent advanced on a ground out, and another New Kensington double by Zmenkowski got Torgent home. Natalie Heltebran (Irwin, Pa./Hempfield) was next on base from a single, and Zmenkowski made her way to third. Riplee Burkhart (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills) sent Zmenkowski home off a single. Heltebran then scored New Kensington's last run of the inning, and it was up 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

Beaver earned two runs in the inning and began to catch up to New Kensington, 5-3.

During the fifth and sixth innings, Beaver added up nine hits and ran in a total of six. This put it ahead of New Kensington, 9-5, with the seventh inning left to play.

Torgent was first on base due to an error. Auveonna Perkins (Arnold, Pa./Valley) batted next and doubled which pushed Torgent to third. Back to back ground outs allowed both Torgent and Perkins to score. New Kensington soon reached its third out, and Beaver came out on top, 9-7.

Zmenkowski led New Kensington with two hits. Zmenkowski and Burkhart both totaled two RBI. Five New Kensington players also doubled during the game: Zmenkowski, Kane, Biswick, Torgent, and Perkins.

Game 2

Beaver took a slight 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning, but New Kensington knotted it up in the top of the second, 1-1.

Facing two outs, Tori Young (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area) singled and scored after stealing home.

Beaver responded with another run and was up by one heading into the third. During the inning, Beaver had two players double which sent three players home. It got one more run before its third out and pushed ahead of New Kensington, 6-1.

After the third, neither team ran any in until the final inning.

For New Kensington, a Biswick double sent Abby Kane (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) home. Biswick advanced to third off a ground out, and a ground out also allowed her to score. Unable to catch Beaver, New Kensington dropped the contest, 6-3.

Heltebran went 2-for-3 including a double. Biswcik and Torgent both had one RBI

New Kensington will play its last doubleheader of the season on Sunday, Apr. 25. It will face off with Penn State Fayette at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. One win will give a New Kensington a spot in the playoffs.

Written by Janet Surma