BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The No. 2-seeded Westminster softball team opened the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Tournament on Friday. The Titans lost, 5-2, to No. 3 seed Bethany in the opening game, however, won convincingly, 11-0, in five dominate innings over No. 5 Grove City in the first elimination game.
 
In Westminster's first game of the day, Bethany (20-15) scored first in the first inning and held its 1-0 lead through three innings of play. Sophomore Mackenzie Latess (New Castle, PA / Laurel) tied up the game for the Titans with an RBI-double to center field in the fourth. Latess scored later in the inning off a Bison error to put Westminster up, 2-1. Bethany quickly tied the game in the fifth with an infield-RBI-single. Bethany then took a commanding three-run, 5-2 lead scoring three runs in the sixth. Westminster had the bases loaded in its last at-bat, however, was unable to capitalize. Titan first-year pitcher Elizabeth Malczak (Grove City, PA / Grove City) got the loss after coming in for relief, giving up the three runs in the sixth. Junior Madison Brown (Lisbon, OH / East Liverpool) got the start and only gave up one earned run (two total) in 6.2 innings of work.
 
The Titans' bats came alive in the elimination game against the Wolverines as they led 11-0 after only three innings. Sophomore Leah Pancake (North Lima, OH / Beaver Local) went yard in the first with a two-run home run to left field for her team-leading seventh homer of the year – only two shy from tying cousin Jennifer Pancake's nine home runs for a single-season program record (2007). Senior Haley Bedalota (Aliquippa, PA / Hopewell) led the offensive surge with a game-high four RBIs, breaking the single-season school record with 49 (Kailey Liverman previously had the record with 45 (2016)). Westminster was just as dominate on the mound with a combined one-hit effort by Brown and sophomore Abbegail Froehlich (Pittsburgh, PA / Plum). Brown got the start and pitched 3.0 innings, only allowing one hit and striking out two. Froehlich came in for relief with two hitless innings to finish out the game. Additionally on offense, sophomore Ashley Wire (Poland, OH / Poland Seminary) tied a career-high with three RBIs, while Pancake scored two. Westminster registered five extra-base hits in total. In addition to Pancake's homer, Bedalota connected on two doubles, sophomore Alexis Yates (Oakdale, PA / South Fayette) added a triple, and Latess had another double. Westminster's win broke the school record for most in season, surpassing the 2001 team's 32 wins. Sophomore Brooke Atkins (New Castle, PA / Laurel) also broke the 31-year-old school record for most runs scored in a season with 49 on the year following her two on Friday, breaking Pam Beatty's 47 set in 1990.
 
Westminster (33-3) will play the loser of Bethany and No. 1 Geneva (who play at 11 a.m.) on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the elimination game for the right to play for the conference title.