Softball sweeps Penn State New Kensington for first wins of year
HOPWOOD – The weather cleared, and the cloud that has hung over the Roaring Lions softball team finally went away as the team captured its first wins of the season with a doubleheader sweep of Penn State New Kensington on April 21. Fayette won by scores of 9-1 and 10-3.
Kasey Ruble picked up her first win of the season, limiting New Kensington to just six hits and one run over six innings. She walked two and struck out five.
Kaitlyn Novak and Stephanie Longo paced the offensive attack, each with two hits while Samantha Anderson drove in three runs.
Fayette jumped on the visitors quickly, putting up four runs in the first inning. Novak's one out single started the rally. She advanced to second on Longo's fielder's choice. And error on Jill Guthrie's ground ball to short loaded the bases. Anderson then doubled over the centerfielder's head to score three runs. Shannon Ardabell's single scored Anderson.
The Roaring Lions added two more in the bottom of the third. Longo tripled to right and scored on Guthrie's single. Guthrie then scored on an error by the catcher.
Sarah Kutchko's one-out single got New Kensington on the board in the top of the fourth.
Fayette answered with two of their own in the bottom of the inning. Ruble started the rally with a single to left and promptly stole second. Novak followed with a triple to center, scoring Ruble. Longo's single to center drove in Novak and at that point the Roaring Lions led 6-1.
Fayette added a single run in the sixth. Ruble reached on a two base throwing error and scored when Longo's fly ball to center was dropped for an error.
In the nightcap, Novak scattered six hits and struck out two in getting her first mound win of the year.
Taylor Lux went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Guthrie drove in two with a monster home run to left.
After spotting New Kensington a 1-0 lead, the Roaring Lions took control of the game for good with five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Guthrie reached on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Megan Hall walked and stole second. Guthrie scored on a wild pitch and Lux's single through the left side scored scored Hall. Marney Hillen's infield single moved Lux to third and both she and Lux scored on Sarah Swaney's sacrifice fly to center. Ruble walked, and stole second – her 12th stolen base in 13 attempts – and scored on an error by the second baseman.
Fayette scored in the third when Guthrie got on by an error and moved to third on Hall's sacrifice bunt. She scored when Ardabell was safe on an error by the left fielder.
After giving up a run in the sixth, the Roaring Lions got it back in the bottom of the inning when Novak walked and scored on Guthrie's blast over the Peachin sign in left center field (she had hit the sign on a fly on five different occasions this season).
The win improved the Roaring Lions to 2-2-12 on the campaign, 2-8 in the PSUAC. The team travels to Schuylkill today for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.