MONT ALTO, Pa. – New Kensington softball was almost in reach of two wins Monday, but Penn State Mont Alto clinched both, 10-7 and 3-2. New Kensington drops to 2-4 in conference play and 3-5 overall.

Game 1

After a slow first inning, New Kensington snagged the lead in the top of the second. Molly Collins (Verona, Pa./Riverview) doubled to right center and was then brough home by an RBI from  Lauren Torgent (Tarentum, Pa./Highlands). Up 1-0, Abby Kane (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) walked. She stole second while Torgent stole third. With a Courtney Biswick (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) single up the middle, both Torgent and Kane scored giving New Kensington the 3-0 advantage.

Mont Alto came back in the bottom of the third and tied the score, 3-3. Throughout the fourth and fifth, it ran in six more to push ahead 9-3 heading into the sixth inning. Natalie Heltebran (Irwin, Pa./Hempfield) walked for New Kensington and advanced to second off a Collins single. Heltebran scored New Kensington's only run of the inning when Kane singled to right field. Mont Alto answered with a run of its own and was up 10-4 with one inning left to play.

New Kensington attemped a seveth inning rally with Tori Young (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area) and Allie Bartko (Arnold, Pa./Chartiers Valley) on base with two outs. Heltebran homered to left field and brought in three runs for New Kensington. However, it wasn't enough, and Mont Alto came out triumphant, 10-7.

Heltebran led New Kensington with three RBIS, while Collins went 2-for-4 with a double.

Game 2

After getting to first on a Mont Alto and stealing second, Young was sent home on an Kane single to start the scoring for New Ken. Mont Alto, however, answered back with a run of its own in the bottom of the first. The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 through the next two innings.

In the top of the fourth, New Kensington broke the tie. Calle Zmenkowski (Cheswick, Pa./Fox Chapel) singled and stole second. With the help of a Heltebran double to left field, Zmenkowski scored which put New Kensington up by one.

Mont Alto tied up the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the sixth. The game went into extra innings with Mont Alto coming out on top, 3-2, after a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth.

Heltebran was 2-of-3 with a double and RBI.

New Kensington will have home field advantage for its next games on Wednesday, Apr. 7 against Penn State Beaver. Game times are set for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Written by Janet Surma