Each season, the Colonial League holds its annual softball Play Day at Patriots Park in Allentown. All 12 Colonial League softball teams match up against each other giving fans the opportunity to see different teams and players all in one venue.

This season, Salisbury was pitted against Saucon Valley on Friday night. Even though both teams have losing records, the game turned out to be somewhat of a classic.

Beth Carney took to the circle for Salisbury and Matty Seyfried got the start for the Panthers and when the game was over the pair had combined to strike out 32 batters while walking just three batters and giving up a total of nine hits in the game, which ended with Saucon Valley securing a 2-1 win over the Falcons.

“In the time I’ve known Beth, this is probably the best I have ever seen her pitch,” said Salisbury coach Jane Brennan. “She was hitting her spots. She trusted her defense, trusted her catcher, I mean it was just all around a beautiful game for Beth.”

Carney opened the game with a bloop single and then stole second, but Seyfried struck out the next three hitters to strand Carney at second.

Seyfried struck out the side in each of the first four innings, scattering a single, a walk, and a hit batter over those innings.

Carney recorded her first eight outs on strikeouts before a soft ground ball back to the mound broke the streak with two outs in the third.

The Panthers put runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings, including loading the bases with one out in the third before Carney worked out of the jam.

Saucon Valley got to Carney in the fourth when Seyfried led off with a single and stole second and third. With two outs in the inning, Cassidy Ash hit a long flyball to right for a triple to plate the first run of the game. Carney then returned to form and got the final out of the inning.

An inning later, Ryan Gall led off with a single to right before stealing second and being bunted over to third. Mallory Brown hit a groundball back to the mound allowing Gall to score from third for a 2-0 lead.

Carney, who will continue her softball career next season at Widener University, threw seven innings, allowed six hits and a walk while striking out 15, giving up two earned runs. At the plate, the senior pitcher went 1-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases.

“We’re getting better as we go,” said Carney of her Falcons teammates. “I’m proud of the girls and how far they have come, and we keep getting better. I know I’ve learned a lot and grown a lot as a player both physically and mentally. I’m going to miss my teammates and playing with them.”

Down 2-0 in the sixth, Riley Knecht reached on a beautifully placed bunt and quickly stole second. Tayhlor Wagner moved her over to third with a groundball to first and Knecht raced home on a wild pitch to cut the Panthers lead in half.

Salisbury looked to extend the game with a seventh-inning rally when Maddie Peifer singled with one out and Amelia Swoyer followed with an infield single to put runners on first and second.

Tessa Kemmerer moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt, but Seyfried was able to settle down and collect her 17th strikeout to end the threat and the game.

“We’re very young, but you know what? I like their spirit and that has not been lost,” said Brennan of her team. “They are learning the ways of the varsity game and how varsity pitchers pitch. They have some travel ball experience and tournament ball experience but they still have some learning to do, but they do want to learn and we’ll take that.”

The loss to Saucon Valley wrapped up a stretch of three games in three days and four in five days for the Lady Falcons. During that stretch, Wagner went 2-for- 3 and Bailee Neitz went 2-for-2 in a loss to Southern Lehigh. After two days off, Salisbury fell to Palmerton on Monday.