LITTLE RIVER, S.C. – The Cedar Crest College softball team lost two games to open the 2024 season at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic on Monday morning. The Falcons fell to Penn State Beaver, 7-4, and were then defeated by Bridgewater State University, 9-1, in five innings. 

Game One - Penn State Beaver 7, Cedar Crest 4

Penn State Beaver jumped on the scoreboard early, tallying three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Junior Mackenzie Boyd (Beaver, Pa.) doubled to score graduate student Chloe Coleman (Moon Township, Pa.). Boyd then came around to score on a single from first-year Kierstyn Mays (Sterling, Ill.). The Nittany Lions pushed one more across in the frame as sophomore Selene Lopez (Simi Valley, Calif.) singled to left field and after an error, Mays crossed home to make it a 3-0 score. 

The Falcons got one run in the third inning as first-year Kate Gronkowski (Hanover Township, Pa./Hanover Area Junior Senior) scored on a fielding error after sophomore Natalie Hasert (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township) struck out and then reached first on the miscue. The error helped Gronkowski score and cut the deficit to two, 3-1. 

Penn State Beaver notched four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Coleman connected on a single, which scored first-year Hayley Cook (Aliquippa, Pa.). Lopez recorded an RBI groundout to second base to plate Coleman. Senior Kylie Magnotta (Monaca, Pa.) closed the scoring in the inning as she delivered a two-run double. The two-bagger scored Mays and Boyd as the Nittany Lions extended its margin to six, 7-1. 

Cedar Crest responded with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Junior Alexis Kline (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter) contributed a two-run single to plate Hasert and Gronkowski. The Falcons then pushed another after senior Kristina Cagle (Pittsgrove, N.J./Arthur P. Schalick) singled in junior Alex Mullen (Prospect Park, Pa./Interboro) to trim the margin to three, 7-4, the eventual final. 

Mays secured the win in the circle for Penn State Beaver. She tossed five innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits to go along with six strikeouts and five walks. 

Senior Corinne Mundy (Philadelphia, Pa./The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush) was tagged with the loss for the Falcons. She threw four innings and surrendered five runs on 11 hits while fanning two and walking one. Junior BB Aquila (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) pitched the final two innings and gave up two runs on three hits. 

Cagle led Cedar Crest at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Junior Anaya Duncan (Baltimore, Md./Franklin), Kline, Mullen, and sophomore Taylor Faw (Glen Burnie, Md./Glen Burnie) recorded one hit each to close the category. 

Game Two - Bridgewater State 9, Cedar Crest 1 (Five Innings) 

The Falcons started the scoring in the top of the first as Hasert reached on a fielding error, which helped push Gronkowski across to give Cedar Crest the 1-0 advantage. 

Bridgewater State plated a pair in the home half of the first to snag the lead. Senior Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) laid down a sacrifice bunt and after a fielding error, junior Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mas.) came around to score. The Bears grabbed the lead after first-year Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) singled to center field to bring around Jolly to make the score 2-1 in favor of Bridgewater State. 

The Bears pushed across a pair in the second frame to grow its margin to three, 4-1. First-year Savanah Dubois (New Bedford, Mass.) connected on a sacrifice fly to right field, which was deep enough to plate senior Tatiana Burcy (Hyde Park, Mass.). Jolly had a sacrifice fly of her own to center field. The fly ball scored Marcotte. 

After a scoreless third inning, Bridgewater State tallied five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jolly registered a two-RBI triple to left center and then would come around to score on a wild pitch. Junior Riley Fitgerald (Swansea, Mass.) crossed home on a wild pitch and after junior Kailey Collins-Fiore (LaGrange, N.Y.) walked, first-year Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Calif.) scored on the throw to push the score to 9-1, which ended up being the final score. 

For Cedar Crest, Gronkowski finished 1-for-1 with a run scored. Hasert went 0-for-3 with an RBI, Mullen was 1-for-3, and first-year Brooke Trentler (Whiteford, Md./North Harford) went 1-for-2. 

Schaefer and Fitzgerald led the Bears with two hits apiece. 

Burcy picked up the win for Bridgewater State, tossing five innings. She allowed one run on three hits while striking out three and walking three. Aquila was given the loss, gving up nine runs on 12 hits.

Cedar Crest (0-2 overall) will return to play at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic on Tuesday, March 5 against Immaculata University at 3:00 p.m. followed by a matchup with Penn State Harrisburg at 5:00 p.m.

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