Slattery staying a step ahead for Lock Haven softball

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 shutout twice.

Slattery tossed a sixinning no-hitter 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.”

ALI SNYDER (EXETER) » The sophomore won her No. 2 singles match 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 but the La Salle women’s tennis team dropped to 2-8 after a 5-2 loss to Loyola on March 17 in Baltimore, Md. Snyder helped the Explorers even their Atlantic 10 Conference record at 1-1 in a 4-3 victory over St. Bonaventure March 13 in Olean, N.Y. She captured her No. 2 singles match 6-3, 5-7, 7-8 and teamed with fellow sophomore Tiffany Theophil of Las Vegas to capture No. 1 doubles, 6-4.

NOLAN PERUGINI (EXETER) » The junior and his Kutztown men’s tennis team started the spring season in fine style going 3-0 with victories over West Liberty (5-4), Michigan Tech (7-2) and Quincy (7-2), the latter match on March 16 in Hilton Head, S.C. Perugini posted a 2-1 record playing No. 3 and No. 4 singles and was 3-0 with two different partners at No. 3 doubles. He was 2-0 at No. 4 singles and 0-2 at No. 1 doubles as the Golden Bears posted a 1-1 record during the fall season. This is Perugini’s first season playing with the team.

AUSTIN DESANTO (EXETER) » The Drexel freshman finished 2-2 in his first NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship March 15-16 in Cleveland, OH. DeSanto, the seventh seed at 133 pounds, won by medical forfeit and then turned back No. 10 Jack Mueller of Virginia 15-7 but was beaten 16-2 in the quarterfinals by No. 2 seed Steven Micic of Michigan. His tourney ended with an 8-6 loss in the consolations. DeSanto finished 29-7 with three pins, four major decisions and 11 technical falls.

LUKE MYERS (GOVERNOR MIFFLIN) » The sophomore finished second in the mile as the Colgate men’s track team kicked off the outside season at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational March 15-17 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Myers was clocked in 4:39.41 which is a personal best. He also ran a leg on the 4x400 relay which finished 17th in 3:34.96. At the Patriot League Indoor Championships Feb. 16-17 in Lewisburg, Myers was 1tth in the 500 meter dash (1:19.29) and ran legs on the 4x800 which finished sixth (7:50.15) and the 4x400 which finished eighth (3:33.51).

MARY KROPPE (BERKS CATHOLIC) » The 5-foot-8 sophomore midfielder has two goals to go with 10 ground balls, five draw controls and three caused turnovers for the Chestnut Hill women’s lacrosse team. She had a goal in a 16-2 victory over Chowan on March 5 in Murfreesboro, N.C. and a goal in a 16-15 loss to Catawba on March 7 in Salisbury, N.C. Kroppe had four ground balls, two draw controls and two caused turnovers against Catawba. The Griffins are 2-2 after a 10-9 victory over Bridgeport on March 19 in Bridgeport, Conn.

NICHOLAS WALIGURSKI (BERKS CATHOLIC) » The 5-foot-10 junior attack has come off the bench for the Cabrini men’s lacrosse team, the Cavaliers 6-0 after a 19-12 victory over Ursinus on March 17 in Collegeville. Waligurski has three goals and three assists and also has 12 ground balls. He had two goals and an assist in a 16-15 victory over No. 15 Lynchburg on Feb. 24 in Radnor. Sophomore Bobby Cressman (Berks Catholic) plays defense for the Cavaliers and has 15 ground balls and two caused turnovers.

CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT (BERKS CATHOLIC) » The 5-foot-11, 160-pound junior kicked off his outdoor season with the York men’s track team by finishing seventh in the pole vault at the Mary Washington Opener on March 17 in Fredericksburg, VA. He cleared 11 feet, 5 ¾ inches. That mark ranks him tied for sixth in the Capital Athletic Conference. Betancourt finished 14th in the pole vault at the CAC Indoor Championships Feb. 16-17 with an 11 foot, 11 ¾ inch effort. His personal best (13 feet, 1 ¼ inches) came in the Paul Kaiser Classic last April in Shippensburg.

GILLIAN “G” RYAN (KUTZTOWN) » The senior wrapped up her career with the Michigan women’s swim team by earning All-American honors in two events at the NCAA Division I Championships March 15-17 in Columbus, OH. Ryan finished 8th in the 500 freestyle in 4:36.42 and then in her final swim with the Wolverines, she finished sixth in the 1,650 freestyle in 15:50.95. She earned her first All-American certificate when she finished eighth in the 500 freestyle last season.

PETE RENDA (BRANDYWINE HEIGHTS) » The redshirt senior concluded his collegiate career at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships March 15-18 in Cleveland. Renda, of Topton, fell a win short of becoming a two-time AllAmerican after the No. 4 seed at 184 pounds fell to Nebraska’s Taylor Venz 11-3 in a consolation match. He opened with a pair of wins before dropping a back-andforth battle in the quarterfinals to No. 5 Domenic Abounader, 11-9. The ACC champion at 184 went 23-4 for the season.