DUBOIS, Pa. — One big inning was Central Maine Community College’s undoing in its opener of the Small College Softball World Series on Monday.
The third-seeded Mustangs fell to sixth-seeded Penn State New Kensington 15-1 in six innings and now drops into the losers bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
Central Maine faces the winner of Tuesday’s matchup between No. 9 Mississippi University for Women and No. 10 Carlow University later Tuesday.
Penn State New Kensington scored 11 runs in the top of the sixth inning to break the game open.
The teams traded single runs in the first inning. In the top half, Kali Barnett singled with one out, stole second and later scored on an error. The Mustangs answered when Paige Ouellette led off with a walk, advanced to second on Abby Ferland’s sacrifice bunt, then to third on Riley McNamara’s groundout before scoring on an RBI single by Emily Wormwood.
The Lions re-took the lead in the top of the fourth. Delaney Sierka walked to lead off, moved to second on an Elliott Ferrent sac bunt two batters later, and scored on Madison Hoyt’s RBI single.
Central Maine missed an opportunity to answer in the bottom half of the frame. Emily Sanfacon walked with one out and advanced to second on Sarah Poli’s single two batters later, but Lions starter Addyson Gregg stranded the two runners by inducing a shallow fly out.
Penn State New Kensington created some breathing room in the fifth. Barnett led off with a single and stole second, then scored on Kiera Mack’s double. Mack advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a Sierka RBI single. An Antonia Velasquez single put runners on the corners, but Central Maine starter Olivia Scott got out of the jam with a groundout to keep the Mustangs within 4-1.
The Lions lineup really came to life in the sixth. Hoyt kicked off the big inning with a bunt single, stole second and third, and scored on a Barnett single. Mack, Molly Collins and Sierka had consecutive RBI hits, and Hoyt later drew a bases-loaded walk that knocked Scott out of the circle.
McNamara came on in relief and was greeted with a two-run single by Gregg to make it 11-0. Barnett followed with her second RBI single of the inning. An Olivia Waldrop two-run double and a Mack RBI single added to the damage before McNamara finally got out of the inning.
Scott, a sophomore, was tagged for 11 earned runs on 14 hits and three walks while striking out six.
The Mustangs tried to make some noise with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Sanfacon walked and Scott followed with a single, but Gregg capped off her gem by inducing a flyout.
Gregg scattered three hits and four walks in six innings while striking out six. She threw 56 of her 88 pitches for strikes.
The Central Maine Community College softball team poses at the Auburn school before departing this weekend for the Small College Softball World Series in DuBois, Pennsylvania. In front: Sage Cormier; second row, from left: McKenna Ridlon, Sydney Stewart, Alyvia Perreault, Olivia Scott, Olivia Gallan; Back row, from left: Paige Ouellette, Sarah Poli, Emily Sanfacon, Emily Wormwood, Riley McNamara and Abby Ferland. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
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