4/14/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Softball team never took its foot off the accelerator, scoring a combined 32 runs across two games to zoom past the Monroe Mustangs with a doubleheader sweep on Thursday afternoon at Scranton HS.
 
The Falcons (17-12) scored 32 runs on a combined 30 hits, 16 of which were for extra bases, and never trailed at any point in either game against Monroe. In game one, the Falcons scored ten runs in the first three innings to race to a 10-3 lead, only to see Monroe close within 10-7 after the top of the fifth, but Lackawanna scratched a couple extra runs across and got a big save from Jennifer Wolak to secure the first victory. Game two started even better for the Falcons, who plated eleven runs in the first three innings, only to see Monroe scored six in the top of the fourth to cut it to 11-6. Lackawanna recovered in the bottom of the fourth, scoring nine runs to blow the game back open, and get activate the sportsmanship rule in the fifth inning. With the wins, the Falcons now have won five of their last six games, including their last four in a row.
 
Game One Recap: Lackawanna College 12 – 7 Monroe College
Lackawanna College scored five runs in the bottom of the first, and ten total runs in the first three innings to race out to the lead, and then hung on late against a hard-charging Mustang squad, pulling out the 12-7 win in game one of the doubleheader.
 
The Falcons (16-12) had six of their nine hits go for extra bases, including five doubles. Skylynn Gilligan was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a walk, and an RBI triple. Emma McNally was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, and an RBI double. Meghan Fritz, who pitched four innings and struck out seven batters for the win, was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of doubles in the game.
 
After a lead-off bunt single, the Mustangs (4-20) had two base runners on with just one out, but Fritz settled in, inducing a pop out, and then a swinging strikeout to end the threat and bring the Falcons to the plate. In the bottom of the first, Fritz led the Falcons off with a lead-off double, then stole third to immediately put herself 60 feet from home. Soon after, a passed ball allowed Fritz to come home, making it 1-0, Falcons. Back-to-back walks put a pair of runners on, still with nobody out, and a McNally single loaded the bases. Gilligan drew a bases loaded walk to score one run, and then Catarena Sommers drew another one, making it 3-0, Falcons. An infield fly rule resulted in the first out, but the Mustangs dropped the ball, which allowed another run to score. A Tess Ruschman ground out plated one more run, and the Falcons found themselves with a 5-0 lead after one.
 
In the top of the second, Miralba Sandez hit a towering drive to left field for a homerun, getting the Mustangs on the board. Fritz got a pair of strikeouts to put two away, but back-to-back singles, followed by a double steal, made it second and third with two away. An RBI single to center scored the pair of runners, cutting the Falcon lead to 5-3. The Mustangs managed to load the bases, but Fritz got another strikeout to strand the bases loaded and end the top half of the inning. The Falcons got a few runs back in the bottom of the second, when Madison McVicar reached on an error with two outs. McNally immediately delivered, doubling her in, and then scoring a run of her own when Gilligan tripled her home on a shot to center. Sommers followed up Gilligan with a double to left field, making it 8-3, Falcons.
 
The Falcons scored more in the bottom of the third, when Kira Ryan reached on an error with one-out, and eventually came around to score on a double from Savannah Glover, which plated a pair of runs for Lackawanna College, making it 10-3.
 
The comeback for Monroe started in the top of the fourth, when a lead-off single, followed by a sacrifice bunt, put a runner on second with one out. Fritz got a big strikeout for the second out, but an RBI single scored one run to cut it to 10-4. Another single put two runners on, but Fritz got a ground out to end the scoring threat.  
 
In the top of the fifth, Monroe got things going again. With Jennifer Wolak on the mound in relief, the Mustangs got a one-out single, followed by a walk, putting a pair of runners on. Later, with two out and runners on first and second, a pop fly on the infield couldn't be caught by a diving Gilligan, loading the bases.  A wild pitch brought one run home, and a walk loaded the bases again. Then a double to left scored another pair, bringing the Mustangs within striking distance, down 10-7. Wolak induced a pop out to end the scoring threat.
 
In the bottom frame, MacKayla Quick singled to center, then stole a pair of bases to put herself on third with nobody out. A wild pitch let Quick come home, making it 11-7, Falcons, but the Falcons were retired in order after that, to end the inning.
 
In the top of the sixth, Monroe had a lead-off single to put a runner on. Wolak got a fly out from the next batter for the first out, and then got a huge double play, thanks to a base running error from the Mustangs, when the runner couldn't get back to first after a pop fly in left field. McVicar fired to Ruschman, who quickly relayed to Gilligan to end the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, McVicar drew a one out walk, then stole second to put herself in scoring position. With two outs, Gilligan delivered with an RBI single to left, making it 12-7, Falcons.
 
Wolak came out for the seventh and got a 1-2-3 top frame to close things out, striking out her first batter, getting a fly out, and then a ground out to end it, earning herself a save, and giving the Falcons the victory.
 
Game Two Recap: Lackawanna College 20 – 6 Monroe College (5 Innings)



The Falcons couldn't seem to miss at the plate in game two, ripping 21 hits en route to a 20-6 win in five innings against Monroe College in the second game of the doubleheader at Scranton HS.  
 
Lackawanna College (17-12) had ten extra base hits, including two homeruns and seven doubles, and every single Falcon who saw time at the plate got a hit, eight of whom had multiple hits, and everybody who saw time at the plate also scored a run for the cause. Skylynn Gilligan was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Madison McVicar was 2-for-4 with a team-high five RBIs and two runs scored. Emma McNally went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs, two of which came on a screaming line drive homer to right field. MacKayla Quick, who retired her first ten batters and pitched four innings, striking out six batters for her seventh win of the year, also had a great day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs, all coming on a towering three-run jack to center field.
 
Quick retired the side in order to start in the top of the first, and Meghan Fritz got the Falcons going in the bottom half with a lead-off double, her third of the day. Kira Ryan grounded to short, but the throw got past the first baseman and caromed off the fence along the first base side, allowing both Fritz and, eventually, Ryan to come home, immediately putting the Falcons up 2-0.
 
After Quick set the Mustangs down in order in the top of the second, she'd get the Falcons going with a lead-off single in the bottom frame. Catcher Gwen Balavage would deliver her with a one-out double, making it 3-0, Falcons. With runners on second and third and just the one out, Kira Ryan doubled to center, scoring another pair of runs. Skylynn Gilligan would get a two-out RBI single to score Ryan, making it 6-0, Falcons, before the second ended.
 
Another 1-2-3 top half led to the Falcons blowing things wide open in the bottom of the third. Quick once again led an inning off with a single, but she'd eventually get put out on a fielder's choice. With a runner on first and two away, Tess Ruschman singled to right field, keeping the inning alive. Ryan stepped in and delivered another RBI hit with a double to left field, which was quickly followed by a two-run double from McVicar to left field, expanding the Falcon lead to 9-0. McNally rocketed a shot to right field, trucking herself around the bases for a triple, and scoring McVicar. A Gilligan RBI single closed out the scoring in the inning, chasing the starting pitcher and making it 11-0, Falcons, after three.
 
Monroe (4-21) finally got things going in the fourth inning, starting with a one-out walk. After a passed ball let the runner get to second, an RBI single to right left field scored the first run of the game for the Mustangs. Later, with the bases loaded and two away, an error on the infield allowed two runs to cross, and a triple to right scored another pair of runs for the Mustangs. Another RBI hit, this time a double, cut the Falcon lead to 11-6, before Quick induced a ground out to end the top of the fourth.  
 
In the bottom frame, Lackawanna exploded at the plate. A one-out single, followed by a walk, put two on for the Falcons. It looked like the Falcons might not get anything, after an infield fly put two away, but a walk loaded the bases, and McVicar stepped in. She'd deliver with a frozen rope to center field that smacked off the fence, scoring three runs and leaving her standing at second. McNally stepped in, and tanked a pitch to right field, clearing the fence with ease and giving the Falcons a double-digit lead at 16-6. A pair of singles from Gilligan and Sommers put two on, still with two out, and Quick delivered a three-run bomb to center field, hitting the top of the fence and dropping down the hill, pushing the Falcon lead to 19-6. Later, with two on and two out, Ruschman singled to center, scoring another run, stretching the lead to 20-6, Falcons.   
 
Ruschman would get her chance to close things out, stepping into the circle to relieve Quick in the top of the fifth. She'd pitch around an error, getting the three outs to activate the sportsmanship rule and give the Falcons the win, and the series sweep.   
 
Lackawanna College's next match-up is their Region XIX opener, when they travel to Georgetown, DE to take on the Delaware Tech CC Terry Hawks. That doubleheader is set to start at 1:00pm ET, and the second game will follow at 3:00pm ET.