Wildcat Softball Team Third, Baseball Team Fourth in PSUAC Playoffs

Vol. 8, No. 38 (Through Sunday, May 2)

Penn College Wildcat Tales Pennsylvania College of Technology's softball team placed third and its baseball team fourth during Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs over the weekend.

The softball team went 1-2 in games at Nittany Lion Field in State College to close out a 14-13 campaign overall, 11-8 in all conference games. The baseball team went 0-2 in action at Pullman Park in Butler and finished 12-11 overall and 10-8 in the conference.

SoftballSeeded third, Penn College knocked off second-seeded Penn State Hazleton, 5-0, in its opener, thanks to a clutch bases-loaded three-run double by Amber Claar (Claysburg). Lacy Lose (Avis) recorded nine strikeouts while picking up the win on the mound.

"The key to the whole thing was being able to get some clutch hits," said Wildcats' coach Roger Harris.

Three errors and a fifth-inning Penn State Beaver home run beat Penn College inits second game, 5-3.

Again facing Penn State Hazleton, in the losers-bracket final Sunday morning, the Wildcats fell, 9-4, in a contest that was nip-and-tuck until Hazleton scored four runs to salt the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning.

"All in all, the girls played great ball. "¦ We just needed to play error-free ball and that didn't happen. They played a hard tournament and we're very proud of them," Harris concluded.

Baseball Tournament play for the baseball team went much like most of its season it couldn't get the big hit when it had to.

The fourth-seeded Wildcats dropped their opener to top-seededPenn StateGreater Allegheny, 9-3, Saturday morning. In losers-bracket action later in the day against third-seededPenn StateBrandywine, they lost, 6-5.

A five-run fourth inning and three-run fifth for Greater Allegheny sealed the Wildcats' doom in the first game. Mark Shaffer (Hanover) lasted into the fifth inning on the mound and took the loss. Justin Crowther (Bear, Del.) went 2 for 4 at the plate for Penn College and drove in one run.

"The big play of the game was a two-out error that led to four unearned runs in the fourth inning," said Penn College coach Chris Howard. "We battled back "¦ but we didn't come up with the hits when we had guys on base. We left 10 on base and didn't get the big hit when we needed it."

AgainstPenn StateBrandywine, Penn College opened a 3-0 lead after two innings, but gave up four runs in the third. Brett Breaker (Northampton) went 2 for 4 at the plate with a triple and Crowther hit a solo home run. Jacob Wrenn (Granville, Mass.) took the loss in relief of Harrison Myers (Elizabethtown).

"It started out good, and things looked like they were going pretty well, but, in the fourth inning, we just imploded defensively," Howard related of the second loss. "It took a lot of wind out of our sails. It was still a one-run game, but after such an ugly inning it's so tough to keep yourself pumped up."

Despite the early exit, Howard is looking ahead: "We've really got a good ball club coming back next year. We've got a bright future. I'm really excited about getting next year going. We have a good team in the making for the next couple of years down the road."

Archery Thirteen college archers earned All-East honors for their performances at the U.S. Indoor Eastern Regionals March 13-14, at the Adam Wheatcroft Memorial March 27-28, at the U Conn Fun Shoot April 17-18 and at the Eastern Regional Championships April 24-25.

They are Dan Wido (Shickshinny), Zachary Plannick (Coraopolis), Aaron Lapinski (Bloomsburg), Brad Ferguson (Lewistown) and Jarrod Chandler (Gillett) in men's compound; Glen Thomas (Mercer), Tyler Gale (Kennedyville, Md.) and Brock Smith (Brookville) in men's recurve; Lindsey Fackler (Halifax), Kjirsten Radencic (Dushore) and Julie Cain (Bellefonte) in female compound, and Kyle Bennett (Bellefonte) and Joe Dowdrick (Lebanon) in bowhunter.

"I was very, very happy with the way things worked out. It's quite an accomplishment," Wildcats coach Chad Karstetter said.

Recent Results/Upcoming GamesBaseball Final overall record: 12-11 Final PSUAC record: 10-8Wednesday, April 28 at Penn State Brandywine (2), canceled Saturday, May 1 PSUAC Playoffs vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny, L, 9-3 Saturday, May 1 PSUAC Playoffs vs. Penn State Brandywine, L, 6-5

Softball Final overall record: 14-13 Final PSUAC record: 11-8Saturday, May 1 PSUAC Playoffs vs. Penn State Hazleton, W, 5-0 Saturday, May 1 PSUAC Playoffs vs. Penn State Beaver, L, 5-3 Sunday, May 2 PSUAC Playoffs vs. Penn State Hazleton, L, 9-4

Archery Thursday, May 13, to Sunday, May 16 at USIAC Intercollegiate Championships at Texas A&M

(Complete rosters and season schedules are available on the college's Athletics Web site. For more information on the PSUAC, visit on the Web; more about the USCAA also is available online.)