DUBOIS, Pa. – New Kensington softball has been knocked out of the PSUAC playoffs after facing two losses Monday in a double elimination tournament. The Lions first fell to Penn State Brandywine, 9-1, and later to Penn State Mont Alto, 2-1. New Kensington finishes the season 11-11 in the conference and 13-14 overall.

Game 1 vs. Brandywine

Brandywine began the contest's scoring in inning one with a homer. The following inning was slow for New Kensington with no hits, but Brandywine earned itself three runs off a triple. Heading into the third, Brandywine was in control, 4-0.

New Kensington faced three quick outs during the inning. In the bottom of the third, Brandywine managed to get six hits and four runs. This pushed it even further ahead, 8-0.

Brandywine saw one more homer in the fourth.

With the final fifth inning left to play, Calle Zmenkowski (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel) singled for New Kensington. She soon advanced on a passed ball and made it to third when Lauren Torgent (Tarentum, Pa./Highlands) reached base on a fielder's choice. Off a fly out, Zmenkowski scored and put New Kensington on the board. Unable to catch Brandywine's large lead, New Kensington was defeated, 9-1.

Five New Kensington players had one hit: Zmenkowski, Riplee Burkhart (Verona, Pa./Penn Hills), Molly Collins (Verona, Pa./Riverview), Abby Kane (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional), and Andrea Eiler (Eau Claire, Pa./Moniteau). Collins also had an RBI.

Game 2 vs. Mont Alto

New Kensington and Mont Alto remained deadlocked at zero a piece for seven of the eight innings played.

Auveonna Perkins (Arnold, Pa./Valley) was able to score New Kensington's first and only run of the game with Zmenkowski getting the RBI.

With the bottom of the inning to catch New Kensington, Brandywine managed to run in two and take the contest, 2-1.

For New Kensington, Courtney Biswick (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) went 3-for-3, and Zmenkowski went 2-for-4. Zmenkowski also struck out five while pitching.

Written by Janet Surma