Penn State-Beaver Battles Hard but Falls Short in Doubleheader to Carlow

Game 1: Penn State–Beaver (5–9) jumped in front early Sunday at Carlow, but Carlow (2–15) answered with a decisive middle-innings surge to pull away for a 13–4 win in West Mifflin. Beaver scored twice in the first and added single runs in the second and fourth, finishing with seven hits, but defensive miscues and a big Carlow third inning flipped the game quickly. Carlow totaled 14 hits and turned the contest into a run-rule style blowout by the end of four and a half innings.

Beaver set the tone right away in the top of the first, using a hit and a throwing error to manufacture two unearned runs for a 2–0 lead. In the second, Beaver extended it to 3–0 on an RBI single, but Carlow immediately counterpunched in the bottom half—stringing together extra-base damage and timely hitting to post four runs and take its first lead at 4–3. That inning also featured a key Beaver fielding error that helped Carlow turn the frame from a rally into a lead change.

The game broke open in the third when Carlow erupted for nine runs, repeatedly putting runners on base and cashing them in with a mix of doubles, singles, walks, and another Beaver error that kept the inning rolling. Beaver scratched across one more in the fourth—again aided by a Carlow throwing error—but couldn't mount anything further in the fifth. Carlow's pitcher Gianna Ferrieri went the distance and earned the win, while Beaver used two pitchers and couldn't escape the crooked-number third. In the end, Carlow's explosive third inning and cleaner execution at the plate were the difference, turning a 3–0 deficit into a comfortable 13–4 victory.

Game 2: Carlow used a fast start and steady pitching to defeat Penn State-Beaver 6–1 on March 29, 2026, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The win improved Carlow to 3–15, while Penn State-Beaver fell to 5–10. After a clean top of the first, Carlow immediately seized control in the bottom half, stringing together run-producing hits to build a four-run cushion before Penn State-Beaver could settle in defensively.

Inning-by-inning, the game was largely decided early. Carlow struck for four in the first, then added one in the second and one more in the third to make it 6–0 through three. Penn State-Beaver's best push came in the fifth, when it finally broke through for its lone run an unearned tally created by a single and a throwing miscue cutting the deficit to 6–1. The sixth and seventh innings passed without further scoring, as Carlow protected the lead and closed out the game.

For Penn State-Beaver, Kierstyn Mays went the distance in the circle, and the offense collected six hits but couldn't turn them into sustained rallies. Reese Riordan led the way with two hits, while Haydan Baucan and several others chipped in singles; Penn State-Beaver also drew two walks but left opportunities on the table and committed two errors that helped extend innings. Carlow's Tatum Wiggs earned the win with a complete-game effort, allowing just one unearned run while striking out seven, and Carlow's lineup produced 12 hits to support her. In the end, Carlow's early execution at the plate and cleaner finish on defense were the difference, as Penn State-Beaver's late spark wasn't enough to erase the first-inning hole.

Penn State Beaver now goes up to 5-10. Stay tuned for the next game which is April 1st, against Penn St. New Kensington on the road at 2pm and 4pm. To find the games got to www.psubeaverathletics.com/sports/sball/2025-2026/schedule