4/21/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Softball team will begin an important stretch of games where they will play four straight doubleheaders in four days, starting with a pair of road trips on Thursday and Friday this week. On Thursday, April 21^st, the Falcons will go to Middletown, NY to take on the SUNY Orange Colts in doubleheader action. Then, on Friday, April 22^nd, the Falcons head to Lincroft, NJ for a cross-divisional Region XIX doubleheader against Brookdale CC.  
 
The doubleheader at SUNY Orange is set to start at 3:00pm ET with the first game, with the second game following at 5:00pm ET. Meanwhile, the doubleheader at Brookdale is set for a 3:30pm ET start for game one, with game two following at 5:30pm ET.
 
About the Falcons
Lackawanna College (18-14) enters the contest having last played this past Saturday, when they took on the Mercer County CC Vikings at home in a deluge of rain. The Falcons knocked off the Vikings in extras, winning 7-6 in eight innings, thanks to a walk-off double from Catarena Sommers. Sommers was 3-for-4, all three of her hits doubles, and MacKayla Quick got her eighth win of the year on the bump, pitching all eight innings, striking out six batters. Read the recap HERE.
 
Lackawanna College was scheduled to play SUNY Orange at home earlier this year, but had the games postponed to later this month because of weather. The Falcons are 1-1 against Brookdale this season, having split a doubleheader with the Jersey Blues back on April 10^th. You can read the recap to that doubleheader HERE.
 
On the year, the Falcons are hitting .332 as a team, and have a combined .910 OPS. Lackawanna College has 119 total extra base hits already this year, 88 of which have been doubles. The Falcons are slugging .511 on the year, and have a .399 OBP, drawing 90 walks and 17 HBPs on the season. The Falcons have stolen 58 total bases on the year, and have driven in 191 of their 221 runs scored so far this year. Lackawanna is averaging just under seven runs per ballgame this season.
 
In the circle, the Falcons have a team ERA of 4.12. Through 205.2 innings, Lackawanna has given up 291 hits and 189 runs, 121 earned, and have struck out 144 batters, while walking 84. Opponents are hitting .310 against the Falcons this year. Lackawanna has turned 13 double plays defensively, but the Falcons have committed 76 errors in 32 games so far this season.
 
Emma McNally is the team-leader so far this year, hitting .450 on the season. McNally has a team-high OPS of 1.296, and leads the Falcons in multiple categories, including runs (34), hits (49), extra base hits (24), homeruns (6), RBIs (37), total bases (89), and slugging (.817). McNally is second on the team with a .479 OBP, and she has six stolen bases this year. McNally has 14 multi-hit games this season, and is currently on a 21-game hitting streak. McNally was a combined 2-for-6 with one run scored in the two games against Brookdale, and she was 1-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and two runs scored against Mercer in her last appearance.  
 
Skylynn Gilligan is second on the team with a .418 batting average this year. Gilligan is second on the team with 41 hits, and has a team-high .482 OBP. Gilligan is slugging at .571 this season and has 56 total bases, each ranking her third on the squad. She's second on the team with 27 RBIs on the year, and is tied for fourth on the squad with ten doubles. After going 1-for-12 in her first four games, Gilligan had 19-game hitting streak, including seven multi-hit games, and now has ten multi-hit games on the season. Gilligan was a combined 0-for-6 in the doubleheader against Brookdale earlier this year, snapping her hitting streak. Gilligan was 1-for-3 with a two-run double, while scoring a run of her own, against Mercer in her last game.   
 
Catarena Sommers is hitting .376 overall on the year, good for third on the squad. Sommers is also third on the squad with 38 total hits, and has a .1.043 OPS, ranking her third, as well. Catarena has 19 extra base hits, good for second on the team, including a team-high 15 doubles, along with 25 RBIs on the year, putting her third on the Falcons. Her 62 total bases have her ranked second on the squad this season, as well as her .614 slugging percentage. Sommers has eleven multi-hit games for the Falcons this season, and was 3-for-4 with three doubles, two RBI, and a run scored against Mercer in her last game. Sommers was a combined 3-for-6 with a double, a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored in the two games against Brookdale.  
 
Jennifer Wolak is fourth on the Falcons with a .350 batting average, and an OPS of .893. She has 21 hits in her 27 appearances, and has a .426 OBP, good for fifth on the team. She's scored 13 runs, and has five doubles and a triple to drive in eleven RBIs this year. Wolak has five stolen bases on the year, and has seven multi-hit games this season. Wolak was a combined 2-for-4 with three runs scored in the doubleheader with Brookdale, and she was 0-for-3 in the match-up with Mercer in her last game.
 
Madison McVicar is fifth on the team with a .344 batting average, and has a .979 OPS so far this season. McVicar is second on the team in runs scored (33), and has a .448 OBP on the year. She's tied for fourth on the team with 33 hits so far this year, and leads the Falcons in walks with 16. McVicar has driven in 18 runs, tied for fourth on the team, and has ten doubles, tying her with Gilligan four fourth on the team. McVicar has eleven multi-hit games this season, and went 1-for-5 in the two games against Brookdale earlier this month. McVicar was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a pair of doubles against Mercer in her last game this past weekend.   
 
Meghan Fritz has a .333 batting average, and has collected 33 hits on the year, tying her with McVicar for fourth on the team this year. Fritz has scored 24 runs this season, good for third on the Falcons, and is second on the team in stolen bases this year, with ten swipes. Fritz has 17 extra base hits on the year, including 15 doubles, tied with Sommers for the team lead. Fritz has ten multi-hit games this year, and was a combined 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI in the two games against Brookdale. Fritz was 1-for-4 with a double in her last game against Mercer County CC.     
 
Fritz is also one of the main starters in the pitcher's circle for Lackawanna, with twelve starts in 13 appearances for the Falcons. She has a 5-7 record on the year, with a 3.98 ERA. Fritz has pitched in 68.2 innings, giving up 102 hits and 71 runs, just 39 earned, while striking out 51 batters, good for second on the squad. Opponents are hitting .315 against Fritz this year. She had a stellar relief appearance against SUNY Corning, going 6.2 innings and only giving up two runs on four hits, while striking out eleven batters. Fritz got tagged with the loss in her last start, only lasting two innings against Delaware Tech, where she gave up seven runs, three earned, on eight hits against the Terry Hawks. She also got the loss in a game against Brookdale earlier this month, going four innings, giving up seven runs, just one earned, on seven hits, while striking out a pair and walking three.   
 
MacKayla Quick has made 14 starts in 15 appearances so far this year. She's 8-6 on the year, with a team-best 3.66 ERA. Quick, in 80.1 innings pitched, has given up 64 runs, 42 earned, on 101 hits, with a team-best 70 strikeouts and a team-high 38 walks. Opponents have hit seven homeruns against Quick, and are hitting .290 on the year. MacKayla has won four of her last five starts, including her latest, an eight-inning outing against Mercer County, where she gave up six runs on eleven hits, while striking out six batters. Quick also picked up a win against Brookdale this year, pitching five innings and giving up just one run on four hits, while striking out three batters.  
 
Tess Ruschman has appeared in seven games, with four starts, and is 2-1 overall this year, with a 6.33 ERA. Ruschman has also earned a save this year, in the win over SUNY Corning earlier this year. Ruschman, in her 21 innings of work, has surrendered 20 runs, 19 earned, on 37 hits, while striking out seven and walking five. In her last start, Tess was chased after two innings of work against Monroe on the road, giving up seven runs and eight hits in a game the Falcons would rally to win, 13-8. Tess had a better outing in relief on Thursday against Monroe, not allowing any hits or runs, while striking out a batter, in one inning of work.
 
Stephanie Kibbe has seen action in ten games this year, with just one start, but has a 2-0 record with a 3.26 ERA this season. Kibbe, in 19.1 innings of work, has given up 16 runs, nine earned, on 33 hits. She has seven strikeouts and nine walks on the year. Opponents are hitting .347 against Kibbe this season. Kibbe last got work against Delaware Tech, where she pitched four innings of relief, allowing one run, unearned, on four hits.  
 
Jeff Pittsman is in his eleventh season at the helm of the Falcons program. After some early growing pains when he took over in 2012, coach Pitt overhauled the Falcons program, turning it into a Region XIX contender year-in, and year-out. The Falcons had four straight seasons of 20+ wins, starting in 2016, and might have had another if not for the pandemic shuttering the 2020 season early. Pittsman is a two-time EPAC Coach of the Year, and has been a fixture in local softball circles for year. An NEPA native and Mid Valley HS graduate, Pittsman began his coaching career in football with the Mid Valley program, and other various schools around the area, before transitioning into coaching softball at the travel-team level. Eventually, his credentials helped him land the job with Lackawanna College, where he took over a team with barely enough players to safely compete, and steadily built the program into a winner.
 
About SUNY Orange
The Colts come into Thursday's doubleheader with an 8-6 overall record, having won six in a row before dropping their last game, 9-7, at County College of Morris. Orange was scheduled to play Morris this past Tuesday at home in a doubleheader, but the doubleheader got PPD due to the weather. The Colts split the series with Morris last week. In game one, Orange scored six runs in the first three innings, then piled on four runs in the fifth to make it 10-3. Morris scored four runs in the bottom frame, but couldn't complete the comeback. Game two was a cagey affair, with five lead changes. In the final frame, Orange scored a run to tie things up, but Morris scored two to win it, 9-7.   
 
SUNY Orange is hitting at .356 as a team so far this season, with a combined OPS of .925. The Colts are averaging just under eight runs per game, and have 40 combined extra base hits on the year, including 30 doubles and 5 homeruns. As a team, Orange is slugging at .495, and have an OBP of .430. The Colts have stolen 14 bases on the year. SUNY Orange has drawn 50 walks, and struck out 63 times so far this season.
 
In the pitching circle, SUNY Orange has a combined 4.18 ERA on the year. The Colts, in 83.2 innings of work, have given up 77 runs on 118 hits, 50 runs earned, and struck out 61 batters, as compared to 19 walks. The Colts have a pair of shutouts, and have held their opponents to three or fewer runs in six games this year. The Colts have turned one double play this year, and have 34 errors in 14 games.
 
Kayla Consolo is the team-leader with a .519 batting average so far this season for the Colts. Consolo leads Orange with 28 total hits so far this season, and is also first on the team with 25 runs scored. Her 1.378 OPS is also tops on the team, buoyed by her team-high OBP (.526) and slugging (.852). Consolo also leads the team in extra base hits (14) and doubles (12). Her 13 RBI on the year have her in a three-way tie for second on the team, and her six stolen bases are also tops on the squad. Consolo has nine multi-hit games this year, including four of her last five games, and was a combined 3-for-8 with two doubles, three RBI, and three runs scored against Morris in two games.
 
Julianna Garvey has a .449 batting average so far this year, but is the team-leader with 19 RBI on the season. Garvey has a .500 OBP, good for second on the squad, and her 22 total hits have her tied for second on the Colts this year. Garvey, despite her high OBP, has somehow only scored six runs this year. Garvey has six multi-hit games so far this season, and was a combined 4-for-9 with four RBI and a run scored in her two games against Morris.  
 
Amanda Miller has a .423 batting average this season, and is tied with Garvey with 22 total hits on the season.  Miller has a .615 slugging percentage, good for second on the team, and has driven in eleven runs on seven extra base hits, including a team-high three triples. Miller has scored 22 runs on the year, putting her second on the team, and she's also got three stolen bases this year. Miller has seven multi-hit games this year, including her two games against Morris, where she was a combined 5-for-8 with five runs scored and two RBI.
 
Kayla McNamara is second on the team with a .455 batting average this year. McNamara has 13 RBI on the year, tied for second with Consolo and Chloe Jamieson, and her .480 OBP has her third on the squad. McNamara has 20 total hits, five of which have been doubles, and is slugging at .568 this season. McNamara has seven multi-hit games this season, and was as combined 3-for-7 with three RBI, a run scored, and a double in the two games against Morris last week.  
 
Erin Feeney has the most appearances with seven, all starts, on the season for the Colts. Feeney is 3-4 on the year, with a 3.36 ERA. In her 41.2 innings pitched, Feeney has surrendered 30 runs, 20 earned, on 55 hits, while striking out a team-high 30 batters. Feeney has also walked a team-high eleven batters this year. Feeney has pitched in in three games where she surrendered two runs or less, including a shut-out win over Sussex County CC back in March, where she struck out eight batters in five innings, giving up just five hits. Feeney had won two straight starts, before dropping her last start, the second game against Morris. Feeney went 7.2 innings of work, giving up nine runs on 15 hits, while striking out three batters.
 
Jessica Stewart has made five starts in six appearances, going 3-2 with a 5.53 ERA. Stewart, in 25.1 innings pitched, has surrendered 34 runs, 20 earned, on 44 hits, while striking out ten batters this year. Stewart has won her last three starts, including her start against Morris, where she went five innings, giving up seven runs on twelve hits in five innings for the win.
 
Kayla Consolo also pitches, and has made two starts in four appearances this season, going 2-0 with a 4.20 ERA. Consolo, in 16.2 innings, has given up 13 runs, ten earned, on 19 hits, with 21 strikeouts this season. Consolo averages just a shade under nine strikeouts per seven innings. Consolo has won her last two starts, including against Sussex, where she threw a no-hitter in a 6-0 win, and a six inning victory where she gave up nine runs on 15 hits in a 12-9 win over Raritan Valley back in April.
 
The head coach for SUNY Orange is John Rywalt, in his first season leading the Colts. Rywalt was an assistant with the baseball team back in the 08-09 season, and has been a veteran of the Orange County softball scene for almost thirty years. Rywalt has spent time at the youth and travel levels of softball since 2003, and is a certified umpire at both the high school and collegiate levels. Coach Rywalt is a graduate of SUNY Delhi.   
 
About Brookdale CC



The Jersey Blues of Brookdale are currently 18-6 overall on the year, and are ranked #7 in the latest NJCAA DIII Softball polls. Brookdale is currently on a three-game winning streak, with their latest being a pair of wins over Sussex County CC back on April 16^th. The Jersey Blues knocked off Sussex in game one with an 8-0 shutout in five innings. Adriana Noterile pitched the one-hitter, as Brookdale piled up eleven hits in five innings of work. In the second game, pitcher Charlotte Piper coasted on the mound, while also going 3-for-4 with a triple and a pair of singles to help Brookdale to a 12-4 win in six innings. The Jersey Blues had an 11-4 lead after three, then scored the one run they needed in the sixth to activate the sportsmanship rule and end the game early.
 
Brookdale is hitting at .410 as a team so far this season, with a combined OPS of around 1.072. The Jersey Blues are averaging over eight runs per game, and have 97 combined extra base hits on the year, including 70 doubles and 18 homeruns. As a team, Brookdale is slugging at .617, and has an OBP of .455, but have stolen just six bases all year. The Jersey Blues have 71 strikeouts as a team, and have drawn 58 walks.
 
In the pitching circle, the Jersey Blues have been great, with a combined ERA of 2.86 on the year, pitching six shutouts and holding teams to three runs or less on twelve separate occasions. In 139.1 combined innings, Brookdale has given up 90 runs, 57 earned, on 143 hits, striking out 131 batters and walking just 40 so far this season. The Jersey Blues have turned five double plays, and have 38 errors on the year.
 
Alyssa Sigler leads the team in batting average, hitting .500 on the year. Sigler leads the Jersey Blues in several categories, including a stellar 1.462 OPS and a .929 slugging percentage. Sigler also leads Brookdale in total hits (42), runs scored (30), extra base hits (20), triples (6), homeruns (5), RBIs (25), and OBP (.533). She's also the team-leader in strikeouts (20) on the season. Sigler has 13 multi-hit games, and was a combined 3-for-7 with a double, a triple, two RBI, and a run scored in the two games against Lackawanna this year. Against Sussex, Sigler went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a double in the doubleheader.  
 
Charlotte Piper is second on the squad with a .494 average so far this season. Her .512 OBP is second on the team, and she's got a healthy 1.200 OPS on the year. Piper is second on the team with 38 total hits, has a team-high eleven doubles, and has driven in 19 RBIs, good for fifth on the team. Piper is second on the team in runs scored, crossing the plate 26 times this year. She has eleven multi-hit games so far this year, and was a combined 4-for-6 with a triple, two RBI, and two runs scored in the two games against Lackawanna. Piper was nearly perfect in the two games against Sussex, going 6-for-7 with six runs scored, a double, a triple, and two RBI.
 
Zoey Hagan is hitting .422 so far this season, and has 35 hits, third on the squad. Hagan has six doubles and four homeruns, driving in 21 runs, tied for third in RBIs on the team. Hagan has a .663 slugging percentage, third on the squad, and has scored 17 runs so far this year. Hagan has ten games with two or more hits, and went a combined 3-for-6 with a homerun, two RBI, and two runs scored in the two games against Lackawanna. In the doubleheader against Sussex, Hagan was a combined 2-for-7 with one RBI. 
 
Nicolette Pavlik has a .375 batting average so far this season, and has 33 total hits so far this year. Pavlik has seven doubles and is second-best on the team with four homeruns, along with 23 RBIs, also good for second on the squad. She has a solid .987 OPS, and has scored 15 runs so far this year. Pavlik has ten multi-hit games this year, and was 2-for-8 with a run scored in the two games against Lackawanna College this year. Against Sussex, Pavlik went 2-for-7 with an RBI and a run scored in two games.
 
Madison Parrish is hitting .453 on the year, with a strong 1.043 OPS. Parrish has 29 total hits this season, and has seven doubles and 15 RBIs. Her 21 runs scored has her ranked fourth on the team. Parrish has nine multi-hit games this year, and was 0-for-2 in one game against Lackawanna College earlier this season. Parrish was a combined 1-for-5 with three runs scored in the two games against Sussex.  
 
Gianna Praet is hitting .400 this season, but is third on the team with a .495 OBP. Praet leads the Jersey Blues in walks (14), and is third on the team with 25 runs scored this season. She has ten doubles and a homerun, driving in 18 RBI this year. Praet has seven multi-hit games, and was a combined 2-for-6 with an RBI against Lackawanna College in their doubleheader. In two games against Sussex, Praet was 3-for-8 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored.
 
Praet is also the main pitcher for the Jersey Blues, appearing in twelve games, eleven of which are starts, and is 9-3 so far this season with a team-best 2.03 ERA. Praet, in 69 innings, has allowed 33 runs, 20 earned, on 56 hits, while striking out a team-best 88 batters, and walking 24. Praet was impressive in her start against Lackawanna, allowing just two runs on seven hits, while striking out nine in an 11-2 win. She has lost her last two starts, dropping a 6-5 decision against Harford CC, and then a 12-7 loss to RCSJ Gloucester.
 
Adriana Noterile may also see action on the mound for the Jersey Blues, having appeared in ten games, all starts, and going 6-3 with a 3.82 ERA this year. Noterile has pitched 51.1 innings so far this year, giving up 46 runs, 28 earned, on 62 hits, while striking out 29 batters. Noterile got tagged with the loss in the first game of the doubleheader against Lackawanna, going 4.1 innings, giving up nine runs on ten hits, while striking out four. Noterile has won her last two starts in impressive form, giving up a combined three hits and no runs in ten innings, including the 8-0 win over Sussex this past Saturday.
 
The head coach for Brookdale is the legendary Thomas "Bo" Scannapieco, now in his 36^th season in charge of the Jersey Blues. Coach Bo has had one of the more decorated careers in junior college history, earning 16 Region XIX championships, along with three national titles. Scannapieco has a career record of 1165-349-4 entering the weekend, making him, by far, the winningest coach in NJCAA DIII softball. Scannapieco was inducted in to the NJCAA Hall of Fame back in 2007. Scannapieco graduated from Brookdale in 1976, where he played baseball for the Jersey Blues, including recording the first hit at Brookdale's McLaughlin Field. He'd go on to Trenton State and graduate in 1977, before coming back to Brookdale to serve as the intramural coordinator. He would serve various roles in the athletic administration, and as an assistant baseball coach, before his fateful switch to softball in 1986. Since then, coach Bo has helped his team blaze a trail of success, both on and off the field.
 
Game Information
The doubleheader against SUNY Orange is set for Thursday, April 21^st, in Middletown, NY, with the first game scheduled for 3:00pm ET. The second game is scheduled to follow at 5:00pm ET.  
 
Then, on Friday, April 22^nd, the Falcons will travel to Lincroft, NJ for their doubleheader with Brookdale CC. The first game is scheduled for 3:30pm ET, and the second will follow around 5:30pm ET.
 
The Falcons come home for a pair of weekend doubleheaders at Scranton HS. On Saturday, April 23^rd, Lackawanna hosts Raritan Valley CC in Region XIX play, with the first game of the doubleheader at 12:00pm, and the second following at 2:00pm ET. The other doubleheader is scheduled for Sunday, April 24^th, when Lackawanna hosts the Lock Haven University club team. The first game of that twinbill is set for a 12:00pm start, with the second to follow at 2:00pm ET.