DUBOIS — The Penn State DuBois softball team saw its magical postseason run come to an end Wednesday afternoon, as Carlow used a late surge to knock off the Lady Lions, 7-4, in an elimination game on Heindl Field at the USCAA Small College World Series.

The tough loss came on the heels of an 8-0, 5-inning setback to second-seeded Florida National Tuesday evening as third-seeded Penn State DuBois saw its stay at the World Series end with a 1-2 record.

Wednesday’s matchup against eighth-seeded Carlow proved to be a tight battle throughout. Penn State DuBois held a 3-2 lead after three innings and the game was tied 3-3 entering the fifth before the Lady Celtics scored twice in the fifth and two more times in the sixth to live to play another game.

Carlow struck first in the bottom of the first, as Haley Bicko drew a leadoff walk and Fran Beighley reached on an error.

DuBois starter Kelsey Stuart countered with back-to-back outs, but one of those — a groundout by Megan Pollinger — scored Bicko. Mackenzie Egley then smacked a single to center to plate Beighley to give Carlow the early 2-0 lead.

The score stayed that way into the third, when the Lady Lions responded with a big three-run inning to take the lead.

Paige Miller, the No. 9 batter, jump-started things with a single to right. Jessy Frank bunted her to second, then Miller took third on a Makena Baney groundout.

Just when it looked like Carlow starter Tatum Wiggs might work her way out of the inning, Sienna Barnhart ripped a RBI double to left before Chelsea Busatto blasted a two-run homer to right center to make it 3-2. Busatto was the driving force behind Penn State DuBois’ offense for most of the postseason.

Stuart kept the inning going when she reached on an error, then Audrey Walker reached on an infield single. However, Wiggs stopped any more damage when she got Natalie Bowser to fly out to center to end the inning and strand a pair of runners.

Stuart then put up a zero in the bottom of the third, but Carlow pulled even with a run in the fourth.

Mackenzie Egley led off the inning with a double and worked her way to third on a groundout. Taylor Egley then popped up to second baseman Walker, and Mackenzie Egley faked like she was going to tag and go.

That prompted a throw to the plate by Walker, which was high. That throwing error allowed Egley to race home from third to even the score at 3-3. Teammate Anna Schumacher followed with a single to right, so she would have scored either way in the inning.

DuBois tried to answer back in the fifth,.

Barnhart singled with one out, then Stuart singled to right with two away. However, Carlow reliever Schumacher promptly struck out Walker to end the inning and strand runners on the corners.

That missed opportunity came back to haunt DuBois, as Carlow scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back RBI doubles by Pollinger and Mackenzie Egley, who finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Penn State DuBois put two more runners on in the sixth as Bowser was hit by a pitch and Kamryn MacTavish reached on a throwing error on a sac bunt. However, the Lady Lions once again came up empty as Schumacher retired the ensuing three batters to strand a pair.

Carlow then doubled its lead with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Taylor Egley led off the inning, then Lexi Berta singled to center with one away. Berta was one of three former DuBois Central Catholic players in the game along with Busatto and Frank of Penn State DuBois.

Egley later scored on a Bicko groundout, while Berta came home when Beighley beat out an infield single to with two outs. Beighley had two hits on the day.

Trailing 7-3 and its season on the line, Penn State DuBois didn’t go away quietly in the seventh.

Barnhart led off the inning with a single and went to third on a Busatto double to left. Stuart then smacked a single to right to plate Barnhart to make it 7-4.

That prompted a pitching change by Carlow, which turned to Samantha Tressler in the circle. However, she lasted just one batter as she walked Walker to load the bases with no outs.

Carlow quickly made another change and turned to Bicko, was the fourth Lady Celtic pitcher of the day.

That move paid off, as Bicko got Bowser to hit a grounder that resulted in Busatto being forced out at home before a flyout and popup ended the game.

Barnhart was 3-for-4 with the double, RBI and two runs, while Busatto was 2-for-4 with a double, homer and two RBIs. Stuart also had two hits and a RBI as that trio accounted for seven of the team’s eight hits on the day.

Penn State DuBois mustered just four hits in the 8-0 loss to Florida National Tuesday night in a winner’s bracket game.

Busatto had a double in that contest, while Walker, Bowser and Theresa Luongo all had singles.

Penn State DuBois, which won its first-ever PSUAC title to earn an automatic bid to the World Series, finished its season with a 21-15 record.

As for Carlow, the Lady Celtics were far from done playing after beating DuBois Wednesday.

They followed up the victory by ousting seventh-seeded PSU Schuylkill with a 9-1 win five innings in another elimination game before seeing its season end Wednesday night with a 9-3 loss to Florida National.

Berta went 0-for-3 in the win against Schuylkill, but was 1-for-2 against Florida National with a sac bunt against.

Florida National, which lost a tight 1-0 contest to fourth-seeded Southern Maine Community College in the winner’s bracket final, will now battle Southern Maine for the title today beginning at 2 p.m. Florida National must win twice to win the title.