Softball closes season with doubleheader split with Penn College
HOPWOOD – Jill Guthrie raced home on Jessica Robi's sacrifice bunt to score the winning run as Fayette defeated Penn College 2-1 and earn a split of Wednesday's season-ending doubleheader at William Beuhner Sr. Field.
The inning started with Guthrie singling to left center. She promptly stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Robi put down a perfect bunt that forced Penn to make a play on her at first as Guthrie raced home with the tying run.
Paige McWilliams got the win, pitching seven strong innings, scattering three hits.
Kasey Ruble had a pair of hits to lead Fayette's offensive attack in the second game and help the Roaring Lions to close the season on a winning note.
After spotting the Wildcats a run in the first, the Roaring Lions tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Ruble walked and advanced to second on Kaitlyn Novak's sacrifice bunt. She raced home when the shortstop threw the ball wildly to first on Guthrie's grounder.
The win helped take the sting out of Fayette's heartbreaking 8-5 loss in game one.
Trailing 5-2 going into the seventh inning, the Roaring Lions scored three times to force extra innings.
After one out, Sarah Swaney smashed a triple to the gap in right center. She scored on Ruble's single to right. Ruble stole second one out later and scored on Stephanie Longo's single to center.
Samantha Anderson's single to center scored McWilliams, who was running for Longo to tie the score at 5.
Unfortunately Penn scored three in the top of the inning and Fayette was not able to answer and fell 8-5.
Ruble took the loss, tossing 8 innings, allowing seven hits and striking out five.
Penn broke the seal in the third, with Trisha Moser's single keying the rally.
The Wildcats pushed three more runs across in the fifth, scoring all three after two were out.
Fayette answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Swaney singled down the right field line. She then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. She scored as the second part of a double steal with Ruble, who had walked.
The Roaring Lions closed to 5-2 in the sixth. Guthrie beat out an infield single to short and promptly stole second and third. She scored when Anderson reached on a error by the second baseman.
That set the stage for the exciting bottom of the seventh.