Stairs' Walk-off Single Completes Sweep
HOPWOOD, Pa. – Jessica Stairs ( Mt. Pleasant, Pa. ) hit a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Stephanie Longo to give the Lady Roaring Lions a 7-6 win to complete a doubleheader sweep of Penn State New Kensington.
Stephanie Longo (Point Marion,Pa.) started the inning by hitting a sharp single off of the glove of pitcher Tarra Oravec. Katie Volek (Smithfield, Pa.) followed with a sharp single up the middle. One out later, Stairs laced a single up the middle to end the game.
Volek (2-3) went seven innings to get the win, scattering nine hit and striking out two.
Longo went 3 for 4 and drove in one. Volek also went 3-4 with a pair of RBI. Stairs had two hits and drove in a run while Moriah Kromer (Mt. Pleasant) also notched a pair of hits.
New Kensington took an early four-run lead. Fayette answered with a pair in the bottom of the third.
Kromer reached the on an error and Shelby Dziak (Eighty Four, Pa.) reached on a fielder's choice. Longo beat out an infield hit and Stairs followed by crushing a double to deep center field. Kromer and Dziak scored and Longo was out at the plate.
After New Kensington added another run, Fayette took the lead with a four-run fifth inning. Kromer, Dziak and Longo hit consecutive singles with Kromer scoring on Longo's hit. After Volek got an infield single, Teri Lewis was hit by a pitch, scoring Dziak. Longo scored on Stairs' sacrifice fly to center. Volek then scored on a wild pitch.
New Kensington took advantage of a Fayette miscue to tie the score in the top of the seventh, setting the stage for Stair to be the hero in the bottom of the inning.
GAME ONE: Fayette 8, New Kensington 2.
New Kensington took a 2-0 lead. Fayette took control of the game with a seven-run sixth inning.
Longo started the inning by singling up the middle. Volek walked and Lewis followed with a single loading the bases. Taryn Dille reached on an error that scored Longo. Chelsea Duricic walked to score Volek.
Kelsie Seman singled up the middle to score Volek and Kromer followed with a double down the left field line. Dziak singled to score Duricic. Longo then scored Kromer with an infield ground out.
Fayette added another run in the sixth. Longo's ringing double to right center scored Kromer, who had singled to start the inning.
Kromer picked up her second win of the year, tossing seven innings and giving up two runs, one earned, while striking out two.
Kromer went 2-4 including a double and knocked in two. Longo also went 2-4 with a double and Dziak also had two hits and drove in a pair.
The Lady Roaring Lions host Penn State Hazleton on April 20 at 4 p.m. in a key PSUAC matchup and conclude the homestand with a noon doubleheader with Penn State Scranton.