3/11/22
 
MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Lackawanna College Softball team came back from a late 4-2 deficit to tie things up in the seventh inning, only for the Hawks of Henry Ford to, quite literally, walk off with the 5-4 win in the final game for the Falcons on their spring break trip in Myrtle Beach on Friday afternoon at the Cal Ripken Experience Softball Complex.
 
Trailing by two heading into the top of the seventh, the Falcons (6-5) scored the two they needed, with the game-tying run coming off a successful steal of home plate by Meghan Fritz. In the bottom of the seventh, with one out, The Hawks singled, walked, and singled to load the bases with one away. Caroline O'Donohue drew the game-winning walk, sending the winning run home and giving the Hawks (7-1) their second straight win over the Falcons.
 
Lackawanna College had just five hits for the game, but drew four walks. Madison McVicar was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored, and Catarena Sommers was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk. Sommers' one hit was an inside the park home run, scoring both herself and McVicar. MacKayla Quick took the loss, pitching 6.1 innings and giving up ten hits and five runs, four earned, while striking out four batters. Quick only gave up two walks, but, crucially, they both came in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Falcons were quiet in the top of the first, but Henry Ford was not idle. The Hawks had three straight hits, with a line drive single to get the leadoff batter on, then a bunt single to get two aboard. That brought up Anna Atherton, who crushed one to left field over the wall, making it 3-0, Hawks, in the swing of a bat. Another single followed, but Quick rebounded, getting three straight outs to retire the side.
 
Both squads were quiet through the next two innings, but the Falcons came live in the top of the fourth inning, still trailing 3-0. McVicar led the inning off with a single to get a runner on. After Emma McNally flew out to left, up stepped Sommers with one away, needing a hit to get Lackawanna up and running. She delivered, smashing a liner to right field that skipped to the outfield track. McVicar scored easily, and Sommers trucked around the base paths for an inside the park homer, cutting the Falcon deficit to just 3-2. A Skylynn Gilligan single followed, and Gilligan was on second with two outs, but a line out to first ended the scoring threat.
 
Henry Ford had the bases loaded with two out in the bottom of the fifth inning, after three singles, but Quick got O'Donohue to ground out, 4-3, keeping it to just a one-score game for Lackawanna College.
 
Rachelle Frederick came on to pitch the top of the sixth for Henry Ford, and the Falcons were able to put McNally on second with just one out, but a pair of outs in foul territory wasted the runner and retired the side. The Hawks responded in the bottom frame, manufacturing a run with a batter reaching on an error, advancing to second on a wild pitch, advancing to third on a sacrifice, and coming home on a ground out to second, making it 4-2.
 
Lackawanna College, needing a rally, turned to their pitcher Quick, who led the inning off with a double to left field. After a Wolak fly out for the first out, Savannah Glover sent a grounder to left field to put two aboard. Meghan Fritz stepped up, and brought Quick home with a fielder's choice, making it 4-3, Hawks, with two away, and Fritz alone on first base. She quickly stole second base, then advanced to third on a passed ball. Kira Ryan drew a walk, putting runners on the corners with McVicar at the plate. That's when the Falcons got aggressive, putting on the double steal. Ryan slide safely into second, and Fritz came home to tie the game at 4-all. McVicar still had a chance to give the Falcons the lead, but she struck out looking to end the top half of the seventh.
 
Quick got a pop out to start the bottom frame, but a single, a walk, and a single loaded the bases for O'Donohue with just one away. She worked the count full, and managed to draw ball four, bringing the winning run home and sending the Hawks into their victory celebrations.
 
That concludes Lackawanna College's stay in South Carolina, as the squad went 6-5 through their first eleven games. The Falcons will have some time off to lick their wounds and recover. The next scheduled contest is not until Friday, March 18^th, when they travel to Bel Air, Maryland for doubleheader action against the Harford CC Fighting Owls. The first game of the doubleheader is set for a 3:00pm ET start, and the second is scheduled for 5:00pm ET.