WILLIAMSPORT, PA - The Penn State Berks softball team won a pair of one-run nail biters on the opening day of the United East Softball Championship Tournament on Monday afternoon at Elm Park. With the two victories, Berks advances to the postseason title game, where they will be one win away from making a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. Berks topped Penn State Harrisburg (No. 3 seed) in a 1-0 thriller to start the day. They followed it up a 3-2 triumph over tournament host and No. 1 seed Penn College later in the afternoon. In the opening game, Briana Smith and Mackenzie Sawdeywere locked in their third pitcher's duel of the season. Both pitcher's were putting up zeroes on the scoreboard throughout the day. Harrisburg had runners on base throughout the first three innings, but were kept off the scoreboard. Berks got its first runner on board in the bottom of the third, but they would later leave two stranded that inning. In the fourth, Smith got her first 1-2-3 inning of the afternoon. In the bottom half of the inning, Berks loaded the bases, but were unable to get any runners in. Smith tossed another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, while Sawdey worked around a one-out walk in the bottom half to keep the game knotted at 0-0. Harrisburg loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but Smith got a ground out to Veronica Maryanski at second to end the threat. In the bottom of the sixth, Peyton Vivian singled to right field and was moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Briana Smith. Emily Smith, after fouling off several pitches, won the battle with a double down the left field line to bring in Vivian for a 1-0 lead. Briana Smith then threw a perfect seventh inning to give Berks the thrilling 1-0 win. Smith allowed four hits and struck out eight in a complete-game shutout to earn her 14 win of the season. Vivian finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Emily Smith was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Maryanski and Naomi Fay were both 1-for-3. Things started out similarly in game two, with both pitcher's tossing scoreless innings to start. Savannah Wilson, Arizona Shreck, and Maryanski strung together three straight singles to load up the bases to start the top of the third. Vivian's followed with a grounder to third, which the fielder got the out at home, but an attempt for a double play at first was mishandled and allowed Shreck to come around and score. Susan Duncan made it a 2-0 lead with a single to short stop that scored Maryanski. Ashley Thomas followed with an infield single to load the bases with just one out, but the Nittany Lions couldn't add to their lead. That lead was short lived as the Wildcats would plate a pair of runs in their half of the third inning. With the game even at 2-all, Berks went back to work in the top of the fourth. Hayden Perrone singled to center field and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Wilson. Maryanski delivered a two-out single to center field to bring in Perrone with what would prove to be the winning run. Briana Smith came on in relief in the bottom of the fourth, where she worked around a two-out single for the shutdown inning the Nittany Lions needed. The senior right-hander left two runners stranded in the fifth, before tossing a 1-2-3 sixth inning. In the seventh, Smith got two quick outs before allowing a single to right field. Smith made a great stop on a sharp ground up the middle and easily gave an underhand toss to first for the final out of the game. Smith picked up the win after allowing three hits and no runs, while striking out two in 4.0 innings of shutout relief. Shreck turned in a strong performance in the circle as well, allowing three hits and two runs, while striking out one in 3.0 innings. Maryanski finished 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Shreck and Perrone both had two hits and scored a run. Duncan finished 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Thomas, Emily Smith, Fay, and Wilson all recorded a hit. The final game on Monday is an elimination game between Penn State Abington and Penn State Harrisburg. The winner of that contest will face Penn College tomorrow at 11 a.m., the winner of that will then advance to face Berks in the title game at 1 p.m.
