4/2/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The normally boisterous bats from Lackawanna College were quieted by stellar pitching from Potomac State College on Saturday afternoon, as the Catamounts swept past the Falcons with a pair of shut-out victories on Saturday afternoon at the Scranton High School Softball Field. Potomac took game one in dominant fashion, winning 9-0 in five innings, and followed that up with a 5-0 victory in game two, scoring five runs in the sixth to break open a tight game.
 
The Falcons (12-11) struggled to get their bats on track, managing just eight hits across the two games, and just one extra base hit, a double, on the day. Meanwhile, the Catamount pitching combined to strike out eleven batters, with no walks, limiting any chances the Falcons may have had to try to scratch runs across.
 
Game One Recap: Potomac State College 9 – 0 Lackawanna College (5 Innings)
A lead-off homerun set the tone, as the Catamounts ground down the Falcons in game one of their doubleheader, eventually scoring six runs in the fourth to blow things open and win in five innings, 9-0, on Saturday afternoon.  
 
Lackawanna College (12-10) struggled against Potomac pitcher Brianne Stocks, who went five innings, giving up just two hits and striking out six batters. The Falcons, other than their two base knocks, had a third player reach base on an error, but the Catamounts stranded all three runners, suffocating a Falcon offense that came in hitting .334 and averaging over seven runs per game so far this season.  
 
Savannah Glover and Skylynn Gilligan were the only two Falcons with hits, each going 1-for-2 on the day. Meghan Fritz got tabbed with the loss, going five innings and giving up nine runs, just one earned, on 12 hits, striking out four batters.  
 
Potomac State (19-2) got an immediate boost from Madison Anderson, who took the third pitch of the game to deep left center, immediately giving the Catamounts a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first. A one-out double put a runner aboard, but Fritz settled in and got two straight outs to get out of the inning. In the bottom half, Stocks struck out the side, setting the tone for the afternoon for Lackawanna.  
 
The Catamounts got a lead-off single in the top of the second, but Fritz got a strikeout, and then induced a ground ball that ended the inning, as Glover threw across the diamond to Gilligan, who fired back across to MacKayla Quick, who made a super catch to tag out the runner sliding into third. Lackawanna got a one-out single from Gilligan, who extended her hitting streak to 18 straight games, but a fly out and ground out ended the inning in quick succession for the Falcons.  
 
Potomac added a pair of runs in the top of the third, after a lead-off single, followed by an error in the outfield, lead to the Catamounts putting a runner on third. Anderson sacrificed herself on a ground out to drive in one run. Stocks would come up and reach on another error, getting to second, and then coming home on an RBI single that made it 3-0. Potomac had runners on second and third with one out, but Fritz got a strikeout and a line out to herself to end the threat. The Falcons couldn't do anything in the bottom of the third, as Stocks retired the side in order.
 
Potomac got a runner aboard with an error with one out, and then drew a walk to put two on. Anderson struck again, this time with a two-run double, bringing the score to 5-0. Stocks would bring Anderson home with an RBI single of her own, and the Catamounts would get a two-run RBI triple, followed by an RBI single to make it 9-0, Potomac.  
 
The Falcons looked like they may have had something finally going in the bottom of the fourth, when Glover reached on a single to lead the inning off. After an out, Emma McNally finally climbed aboard, putting runners on first and second with just one out. Stocks would settle in, however, getting a pair of fly outs to end the threat.   
 
Stephanie Kibbe entered for the Falcons in the circle in the top of the fifth. A lead-off single put a runner on, but a Kibbe got a strikeout, and then Gwen Balavage threw out the base runner, combining with Glover for the out. Kibbe got a ground out after a walk to strand the runner and end the inning.
 
The Falcons went down in order to end the fifth, and the game, giving the Catamounts their 13^th straight win.  
 
Game Two Recap: Potomac State College 5 – 0 Lackawanna College



In game two, Lackawanna put up much more of a fight, but the Catamounts used a decisive five-run sixth inning to put things out of reach, winning 5-0 at the Scranton High School softball field on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Falcons (12-11) stranded 12 batters, and were led by Madison McVicar's 2-for-3 performance. Meghan Fritz was 1-for-4 with a double, while Savannah Glover, Emma McNally, and Skylynn Gilligan were all 1-for-3 from the plate. MacKayla Quick had a strong outing, but Potomac (20-2) eventually got to her, scoring their five runs in the sixth inning. Quick went six innings, giving up five runs and eight hits, with eight strikeouts and five walks.   
 
Quick pitched around a single and a walk in the top of the first, and the Falcons got a pair of two-out singles from McVicar and McNally to put a pair of runners on. The Catamounts were able to dance around it, ending the inning with a ground out.
 
Potomac was able to lead off the third with a triple, but Quick got back-to-back strikeouts to put two away, then induced a fly out to center to retire the side and strand the runner. In the bottom frame, the Falcons had what was probably their best chance, when Fritz smacked a one-out double to center field, followed by a single from Glover, putting runners on the corners with just one out. Even after a strikeout, the Falcons had runners on second and third with two away, but the Catamounts induced a ground out to end the Falcons' scoring threat.
 
The Falcons had another opportunity in the bottom of the fifth, with the game still scoreless, when Glover reached on a fielder's choice, putting two away, and McVicar got aboard with a two-out single to put runners on first and second. Unfortunately, Lackawanna couldn't bring them home, as the Catamounts got out of trouble again with a fly out to left field.
 
Potomac would finally find the breakthrough in the top of the sixth. A one-out single, followed by a walk, put runners on first and second with just one away, and an RBI single scored the first run, breaking the deadlock. The Falcons got a fielder's choice to put two away, but a two-out walk loaded the bases. A bases-clearing double brought three runs home, breaking the game open, and a steal of home base later in the inning made it 5-0, Catamounts, in the top of the sixth.
 
After a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth, Stephanie Kibbe was called up again in relief in the top of the seventh. Kibbe pitched around a double and a hit by pitch, but the Falcons went in order in the bottom frame, ending the game and securing the sweep for Potomac.
 
Due to an unplayable field and expected inclement weather, tomorrow's scheduled game between the Falcons and the Catamounts has been canceled. The next games for Lackawanna College will be next Saturday, April 9^th, when the Falcons host the Lady Vikings from Mercer County CC in a doubleheader at Scranton HS softball field. The first game is scheduled for 12:00pm ET, while the second is scheduled for 2:00pm ET.