3/18/22
 
BEL AIR, MD – The Lackawanna College Softball team struggled to get their offense on track in the first game of their doubleheader, then quickly found their offense in game two to salvage a split in their doubleheader at Harford Community College on Friday afternoon, dropping their first contest 9-2, then winning the second game 9-3 over the Fighting Owls.
 
Game One Recap: Harford CC 9 – 2 Lackawanna College
In a game that initially looked like it would be a see-saw battle, the Fighting Owls peppered the Falcon defense with 14 hits, pounding out a 9-2 win in the first game of the doubleheader at Harford CC's varsity softball field on Friday afternoon.
 
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, Lackawanna College scored a pair of runs to tie things up in the top of the second, but managed just three hits the rest of the way, as the Owls piled on seven runs en route to their victory.
 
The Falcons (6-6) were held to five hits through the game, led by Emma McNally and Meghan Fritz, who went 2-for-3 and 2-for-4, respectively. Fritz got the start, pitching six innings and striking out eight batters, but allowing 14 hits and nine runs, eight earned. Fritz was tagged with the loss, dropping to 2-3 on the year.
 
Mackenzie Burton went seven strong for the Fighting Owls, giving up five hits and just two runs, while striking out five batters on the way to the win for Harford CC, which improved its record to 5-7 on the year.
 
After the Falcons wasted a leadoff double from Meghan Fritz in the top of the first, the Owls struck in the bottom frame. Four straight singles started the inning for Harford, with the fourth a two-RBI single that made it 2-0 Harford, still with nobody out. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Fritz got her first out with a strikeout, then induced a groundout, and, after a hit by pitch loaded the bases, she got another strikeout to end the scoring threat.
 
The Falcons immediately responded in the top of the second. Catarena Sommers reached after getting hit by a pitch, and Skylynn Gilligan quickly brought her home with a rocket of a double to right field, halving the deficit at 2-1. MacKayla Quick climbed aboard after an error allowed her to reach, and then stole second to put runners on second and third with nobody out. After a pop out in the infield, Savannah Glover lined one to deep left, sacrificing herself to bring home Gilligan, tying things up at 2-all. With Quick on second and two away, Fritz came up to bat, but struck out to end the inning.
 
The Falcons may have had another chance in the top of the third, when McNally singled, and advanced to second on an error with one out, but the Fighting Owls got the pair of outs they needed to get out of the top frame, and bring themselves up to bat in the bottom of the third.
 
A leadoff double, followed by a single, put runners on the corners with nobody out, and Leah Wondolowski delivered with a single up the middle to score a runner and give the Owls a 3-2 lead. Wondolowski was caught stealing with the next batter up, but a double steal was called, and the runner at third came home to make it 4-2. Fritz was able to induce a ground out and pop out to end the inning.
 
Harford put more runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth, when a one-out double put a runner on second and, with two outs, Jess Bouthet kept the inning alive with a double to right field, scoring the runner and extending the lead to 5-2. Another double brought Bouthet home, and a single from Kaitlyn Delaney to left scored another run, blowing the game open at 7-2.
 
After some scoreless half innings, Harford added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. A lead-off single, followed by a steal, put a runner in scoring position with nobody out. After Fritz got a strikeout, Bouthet struck again, ripping a triple into right field to bring a run home and make it 8-2, Fighting Owls. Another single followed, extending the Harford lead to 9-2.
 
The Falcons got a two-out single from Meghan Fritz in the top of the seventh, but Lackawanna College couldn't get anything going, as a ground out ended the half inning and the game, handing the win to the Fighting Owls.
 
Game Two Recap: Lackawanna College 9 – 3 Harford CC



With how much the Falcon offense struggled in game one, it came alive in game two, with Lackawanna College scoring nine runs on 13 hits en route to a 9-3 victory.
 
Lackawanna College (7-6) scored runs in the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, consistently putting pressure on the Owls to try to respond. Harford (5-7) had its chances, but MacKayla Quick and Stephanie Kibbie combined to strand 12 baserunners, only giving up three runs on nine hits to help the Falcons to victory. Quick picked up the victory, improving to 2-3 on the year, scattering four hits and one run over five innings of work.
 
The Falcons were led by Jennifer Wolak at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, two RBIs, and a double. Quick helped herself at the dish, going 1-for-3 with one run scored and three RBIs, and both Emma McNally and Madison McVicar were 2-for-4 from the plate, each scoring two runs, apiece.
 
After a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first, Harford had a shot at the plate in the bottom frame, when Jess Bouthet reached on an error and got to second base with just one out, but Quick got a line out and a pop out to end the threat. The Falcons, buoyed by closing things out the inning before, pounced in the top of the second. After McVicar led off with a single, she advanced to second on a passed ball. Wolak would bring her home with a one-out single through to the left side, which scored McVicar and gave the Falcons the early 1-0 lead. Wolak reached second on a throwing error, and then got to third on a wild pitch. Catarena Sommers grounded out to first base, which scored Wolak and made it 2-0 Falcons. After Gwen Balavage reached with a two-out walk, the Falcons may have had something else brewing when Savannah Glover doubled, but Glover got picked off between second and third, ending the scoring threat.
 
After Quick pitched around a walk in the bottom of the second, the Falcons followed with a run in the third, thanks to a two-out double from Emma McNally, who was brought home when McVicar singled her home to make it 3-0, Falcons.
 
Harford managed to manufacture a run in the bottom of the third, when a two-out double brought home a runner to make it 3-1. Quick managed to end the threat when she induced a pop out to end the inning. The Falcons responded with a lead-off double from Wolak, and scored a run when Balavage grounded out, scoring Wolak and making it 4-1, Falcons.
 
Quick danced out of trouble in the bottom of the fourth, when a walk and a hit by pitch with two outs loaded the bases. She managed to force a pop out to strand the runners.  
 
In the top of the fifth, the Falcons got back-to-back one-out singles from Skylynn Gilligan and McNally put runners on first and second. McVicar reached on an error, loading the bases with just the one out. MacKayla Quick came up to bat, and cleared the bases with a single, scoring all three base runners and advancing all the way to third after a fielding error. Wolak quickly followed up with a single up the middle, scoring Quick and making it 8-1, Falcons. The Falcons had a pair of runners on with two out, later in the inning, after Sommers reached and Gwen Balavage singled, but a Glover line out ended the inning for the Falcons.
 
Quick stranded two base runners in the bottom of the fifth, and the Falcons added another run in the top of the sixth, after Kyra Ryan hit a leadoff triple and scored on a sacrifice fly, making it 9-1, Falcons.
 
Kibbe came on to pitch in the bottom of the sixth for Lackawanna College, but Harford led off with a double and a walk, putting two runners on and nobody out. After a strikeout, a bunt single loaded the bases, but it looked like Kibbe might skate after she got a line out for the second out. Emily Curry made sure the Owls would get a few more runs, singling home a pair of runs to make it 9-3. Kibbe was able to get out of the inning with a ground out.
 
After an empty top of the seventh, the Fighting Owls had a chance with a pair of runners on and two outs, but Kibbe got a swinging strikeout to end the inning and the game, giving the Falcons the win and getting their overall record back above .500.
 
The Falcons will stay in Maryland for the weekend for their next series of games, taking on SUNY Corning and Hagerstown CC in Hagerstown, MD for a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday, March 18^th, and Sunday, March 19th. Their first game, against the host Hawks of Hagerstown, is scheduled for 8:30am ET on Saturday. They'll play the Red Barons from Corning later in the day at 1:00pm ET on Saturday.