A rainy and cold season, replete with canceled games and make-up dates, concludes on the road for Penn State New Kensington's three spring sports teams.
The baseball and softball teams, who combined for 18 canceled games, travel east for a pair of Penn State University Athletic Conference doubleheaders this weekend, April 25 and April 26. Both squads play at Penn State Hazelton at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The seasons end on Sunday at Penn State Scranton with baseball starting at 11 a.m. and softball starting at noon. Weather forecast is sunny and 80 degrees for both days.
The golf team, rained out or snowed in for its first three matches, tries to get in at least one match before final exams when they head to Butler, Pa. for a noon tee-off on Wednesday, April 29 at Lake Arthur Country Club against Butler County Community College and Westmoreland County Community College.
Baseball and softball are in their first year of play, returning as an intercollegiate sport after a two-year hiatus. Baseball, under the direction of Kurt Krebs, is 4-17 in the PSUAC and 4-19 overall. The spring campaign is the second part of a schedule that began in fall 2008. The fall-spring split was instituted in 2008 on a trial-basis by the PSUAC; baseball returns with its tradition full spring season in 2010.
Pitcher Brett Conaway has been the workhorse of the small and inexperienced staff, alternating between starting and closing. He has thrown a complete game and pitched three shutout innings to close a game.
"Brett proves that you don't have to be able to throw the ball 85 MPH to get hitters out," Krebs said. "He throws strikes and he puts the ball where he wants it."
Coach Mike Marsili's softball team is 0-8 in the conference and coming of a 15-6 loss April 18 to Penn State Mont Alto. It was the most productive offensive of the year for the young Lady Lions, who got two hits apiece from Erika Mazur, Rachel Barr, Lynn Patterson and Kristi Lemon.
"The players really came alive at the plate in the Mont Alto game," Marsili said. "We had the lead and battled to the end, but we had too many defensive break downs."
For more on the teams, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/41803.htm#NEWS41803 online.