New Ken edges Fayette 4-3 in 8 innings

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. – The town might be named New Kensington, but as far as the Lady Roaring Lions are concerned, it might just as well be called Heartbreak City. New Kensington came from two runs down to capture a 4-3 win over Fayette in eight innings.

Things started out fine for the Lady Roaring Lions in the top of the first inning as they pushed across two runs. Morgan Miller hit the second pitch she saw into right centerfield for a single.

Moriah Kromer followed with a ringing double down the left field line that scored Miller. Kromer then advanced to third on a grounder by Jill Guthrie and scored when Jessica Stairs reached on a fielder's choice.

Kromer, who got the call to pitch, worked out of a one-out, first-and-third jam in the second inning by getting Sarah Kutchk to pop harmlessly to short and then striking out Melanie Camp.

New Kensington finally got to Kromer in the third, pushing across a single run. Bridget Fish doubled to left center and moved to third when Claire Fise reached on an error. Kelsie Harri brought in a run with a grounder to short that forced Fise.

Fayette (1-6, 0-1)  kept the damage to a run with some nifty defense as a perfect relay from Stairs to Alyssa Strausser to Andrea Lash cut down Fise trying to move to third on a single by Gabriella Miller.

In the top of the third, Strausser hit a one-out double to the gap in left center field, but the Lady Roaring Lions were unable to capitalize and it remained a 2-1 game

New Kensington (2-5, 1-0) tied it in the bottom of the fifth. Fish started the inning by getting hit by the pitch. Fishe sacrificed her to second and she scored on Harri's single to right.

That forced the game into extra innings and use of the International Tiebreaker procedure, under which the player that made the final out of the previous inning starts the next inning at second base. In Fayette's case, that turned out to be Miranda Nichols. Andrea Lash walked and both players advanced on a wild pitch.

After a strikeout, Stephanie Longo walked, loading the bases for designated hitter Katie Volek. She smashed one to deep centerfield that for a moment looked as though it might be a grand slam. But the heavy air from the rain kept it in the park and Volek settled for a sacrifice fly that scored Nichols.

New Kensington made the most of the International Tiebreaker in the bottom of the eighth.

With Harri placed at second, Miller walked. Rachel Lojas reached on a two-base error, scoring Harri and putting runners on second and third with one out.

Jenna Swink's sacrifice fly to center scored Miller with the winning run.

Strausser led the Fayette offense, going 3-for-4 with a double. Guthrie and Kromer both had two hits, with Kromer also adding a double.

Kromer (1-1) took the loss, tossing 7,1 innings and allowing four runs (two earned) while scattering seven hits and striking out five.

Fayette travels to Penn State Beaver for another PSUAC matchup on Tuesday with a 3 p.m. start.