#8 Penn State Beaver - 11, #9 Virginia University-Lynchburg - 3
Number eight-seed Penn State Beaver advanced with an 11-3 win over number nine-seed Virginia University-Lynchburg in the opening round of the 2013 USCAA Softball National Championships.
The Lions used a seven-run fourth to grab a 10-2 lead and would end the game an inning later. Beaver's Kori Freyermuth picked up the win, going all five innings while surrendering three runs on five hits and striking out five.
Beaver took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, but VUL answered with two runs in the top of the third. Freyermuth would then tie the game with an RBI single, eventually scoring on a single by Sidney Brinton to give the Lions the lead for good.
The gates then opened in the fourth, as Beaver used five hits and three VUL errors to take their first eight-run lead of the day. Freyermuth had an RBI double and Brinton added another RBI single during the inning, as the Lions entered the fifth with an opportunity to close out the game.
VUL answered with a run of their own in the top half of the fifth to force Beaver to bat, but the Lions used another VUL error to go ahead 11-3 and complete the first round win. Freyermuth finished with a game-high three RBIs while picking up the win in the circle.
Beaver advances to play top seed Briarcliffe College at 6:00 p.m. at Firestone Stadium's main field. VUL will play in the loser's bracket at 8:00 p.m. on the Pony Field at Firestone Stadium.
