Slattery staying a step ahead for Lock Haven

The Lock Haven softball team is hoping to make some noise in the PSAC Central Division again this season and the Bald Eagles will be relying on the strong left arm of junior Bekah Slattery.

Slattery, a Daniel Boone graduate, is currently 2-4 with two saves and a 1.23 earned run average in eight games and five starts. In her four losses, the team scored just four runs and was shut out twice.

Slattery tossed a six-inning nohitter against Post on March 12 in Clermont, Fla. She walked three and struck out nine. On March 16, also in Clermont, she gave up five hits and struck out 15 but was beaten 1-0 on an unearned run in the eighth inning. In 40 innings, she has given up 24 hits and 11 runs, seven earned, with 12 walks and 48 strikeouts and has a 1.23 earned run average.

“Bekah has been a spark so far – as any good pitcher can be,” coach Kelly Shannon said. “We rely on her confidence and game attitude. It definitely allows our team to believe we can beat anybody out there with her in the circle.”

A two-time PSAC Central first-team selection, Slattery was 16-11 with a 3.34 ERA in 30 games and 25 starts as a sophomore. She had 21 complete games and three shutouts and struck out 134 batters in 172.1 innings. She had a big freshman season, going 22-9 in 37 games and 30 starts with 22 complete games and nine shutouts. She fanned 187 in 215.2 innings. She’s not resting on her laurels.

“Bekah worked really hard in the off-season to increase spin and ultimately her movement on her pitches because she knows she has to keep reinventing herself for her and our team to be successful,” Shannon said. “I look forward to seeing how far she can propel us this season.” DAVID GULATI (SPRING-FORD) » The Villanova baseball team is 4-11 but the speedy center fielder is having a solid season with the Wildcats, who dropped an 8-4 decision to Wagner March 18 in Plymouth Meeting. Gulati had four hits in the game to move his average to .308 on the season. He has 20 hits in 65 at-bats with a team-high eight doubles, a home run, six runs batted in and a team-high 15 runs scored. He’s 5-for-5 stealing bases and in the outfield has made just one error on 51 chances (.980). Freshman Pat O’Neill (Methacton) is starting at shortstop for Villanova and is hitting .146 (6for-41). CAL ENDY (OWEN J. ROBERTS) » The freshman was named MAC Freedom Pitcher of the Week on March 12 after a big effort in his first college start for the Delaware Valley baseball team. The 6-foot-3, 192-pound righthander recorded a college career-high 13 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over Hilbert March 10 in Fort Pierce, Fla. Endy pitched 6.2 innings and gave up five hits and an unearned run. He picked up his second victory of the season with a complete game seven inning 7-2 triumph over Norwich on March 15 also in Fort Pierce. MITCH PINDER (BOYERTOWN) » The sophomore second baseman is hitting .378 (14-for-37) for the Kutztown baseball team, the Golden Bears 6-4 after a 20-3 victory over USciences March 19 in Kutztown. Pinder had two hits and two runs batted in against the Devils. He has two doubles, a triple, four runs scored and 11 runs batted in and he had a big game in a 15-8 victory over Barton on March 14 in Wilson, N.C. with four hits, two runs and two RBI. Pinder is also solid in the field with just two errors on 47 chances (.957). JOSH KESZCZYK (BOYERTOWN) » The senior is sharing catching duties with the Juniata baseball team, the Eagles 4-10 after dropping an 8-7 decision to Keuka on March 21 in Auburndale, Fla. Keszczyk is hitting .391 (9-for-23) with four doubles, seven runs scored and six runs batted in. He had his best game of the season in a 16-5 victory over SUNY-Cobleskill on March 20 also in Auburndale. He had a double and single with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Behind the plate, Keszczyk has made just two errors on 61 chances (.967). ALANA CARDACI (METHACTON) » The freshman has a team-high 18 goals and three assists for 21 points with a game-winner for the Shippensburg women’s lacrosse team, the Raiders 3-3 after a 17-16 PSAC loss to Bloomsburg on March 20 in Bloomsburg. All three losses have been by one goal. Junior Morgan Stone (Owen J. Roberts) has 10 goals and an assist with a game-winner, freshman Maddy Siejk (Boyertown) has eight goals and four assists while senior Jordan Kengor (Pope John Paul II) has three goals and an assist.

BRIANNA CIRINO (SPRINGFORD) » The sophomore has started all nine games on defense for the Rutgers women’s lacrosse team, the Scarlet Knights 4-5 after opening the Big Ten Conference season with an 1813 loss to No. 17-ranked Penn State on March 17 in Piscataway, N.J. Cirino had two ground balls and two caused turnovers against the Nittany Lions. She has 11 ground balls, 10 draw controls and four caused turnovers. Last year as a freshman, she had five ground balls, five draw controls and two caused turnovers in eight games. NOAH BEEBE (OWEN J. ROBERTS) » The senior is hitting .333 for the Albright baseball team, the Lions 5-5 overall and 0-3 in MAC Commonwealth play after a 16-2 league loss to Alvernia on March 18 in Reading. Beebe has nine hits in 27 atbats with two doubles and three runs batted in. Sophomore Logan Pennypacker (Pottstown) is hitting .235 (8-for-34) while junior lefthander Daron Pijanowski (Upper Perkiomen) has a 1-1 record with a save pitching in three games and two starts. CAM COOK (PHOENIXVILLE) » The senior second baseman is hitting .315 (17-for54) for the Nichols baseball team, the Bison 5-7 after a 10-8 victory over Worcester Poly on March 20 in Northborough, Mass. He has five doubles, three runs batted in and is tied for the team lead in runs scored with 12. And, he’s a perfect 4-for-4 stealing bases. Cook has a seven-game hitting streak and has gotten at least one hit in 11 of the 12 games thus far. In the field, he has made two errors on 45 chances (.956) with four double plays. EMILY HARRIS (METHACTON) » The senior catcher/ outfielder is hitting .333 (18for-54) for the USciences softball team. She has two doubles, two triples, 11 runs scored and 10 runs batted in. She also has four steals in five attempts for the Devils who are 4-12 overall and 1-1 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference after dropping a non-league doubleheader (13-7 and 11-2) to Shippensburg on March 18 in Philadelphia. Harris had four hits including a double in seven at-bats with a run and an RBI in the doubleheader. STEPHEN MUSCOVITCH (OWEN J. ROBERTS) » The 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior right-hander is a late relief specialist for the Millersville baseball team, the Marauders 12-7 after a 13-inning 4-3 victory over Seton Hill on March 18 in Millersville. Muscovitch has pitched in seven games out of the bull pen. He’s worked just 3.2 innings and has given up two hits, one run, which was earned, with four walks and three strikeouts. He pitched just 1/3 of an inning to pick up his save in a 9-5 victory over Goldey-Beacom on March 3, also in Millersville. MAGGIE MCCONNEY (SPRINGFORD) » The 5-foot-4 freshman has played all four infield positions thus far for the Dickinson softball team, the Red Devils 9-5 after dropping a doubleheader 2-1 and 6-2 to Elizabethtown on March 19. McConney is hitting .345 (10for-29) with a double, four runs scored and eight runs batted in. She had a fivegame hitting streak (March 13-16) going 8-for-14 with four runs batted in. In the field, she’s made four errors on 25 chances (.840). COLE LUZINS (PHOENIXVILLE) » The Susquehanna baseball team is off to a 3-10 start but the senior is having a big season for the River Hawks. Luzins leads the team in hitting with a .360 average. He has 18 hits in 50 at-bats with a teamhigh seven doubles, a teamhigh two home runs with eight runs batted in and a team-high 16 runs scored. He had his best game thus far when he hit a home run and three singles with three runs scored and two runs batted in on March 16 in an 11-9 loss to Nichols in Punta Gorda, Fla.