4/21/22
 
MIDDLETOWN, NY – The Lackawanna College Softball team scored their most runs in a game in nearly 20 years in the first match-up, then followed that up with a comeback victory in game two to sweep the SUNY Orange Colts in a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon in New York. The Falcons won game one with an offensive onslaught, pounding out 32 hits in one game to win 28-7 in five innings, then recovered from an early 7-0 deficit after one inning to pull away with a 15-9 victory in game two.  
 
Lackawanna College (20-14) lit up Orange (8-8) for 43 combined runs on 51 hits, including 22 combined extra base hits, and four homeruns. Emma McNally was a combined 7-for-9 with five RBI and four runs scored, along with four doubles and a triple. Madison McVicar went 6-for-9 with five RBI and five runs, and hit two doubles and a homerun, while Catarena Sommers was 6-for-10 with five RBI and six runs, hitting five doubles and a homerun. Kira Ryan was a combined 6-for-10 with nine RBI and six runs, hitting a double, a triple, and a homerun in the two games.
 
Game One Recap: Lackawanna College 28 – 7 SUNY Orange (5 Innings)
Lackawanna College scored their most runs in a game since April 2003, as they put 28 runs on 32 hits on the board to beat SUNY Orange 28-7 in game one of the doubleheader in Middletown on Thursday afternoon.
 
The Falcons (19-14) scored runs in each of the five innings of play, including five in the first, and a combined 17 over the last two innings, while smacking 13 extra base hits, including nine doubles and three homeruns. Of the eleven Falcon batters who came to the plate, ten had multiple hits, and nine drove in runs. Meghan Fritz and Madison McVicar each went 5-for-6 from the plate, with Fritz driving in three runs and scoring four, while McVicar drove in five runs and scored three. Fritz hit a pair of doubles, while McVicar hit a double and a two-run homer. Catarena Sommers went 4-for-5 with four RBI and four runs, hitting three doubles and a solo homerun. Kira Ryan was 4-for-6 with five RBI and three runs scored, with a two-run double to her name. MacKayla Quick picked up her ninth win of the year, pitching three innings and giving up four runs on five hits, while striking out three batters.
 
Lackawanna College's 28 runs are the most the Falcons have scored since April 6^th, 2003, when they beat Atlantic Cape Community College by a 30-1 score. The 28 runs are the most the Falcons have scored under head coach Jeff Pittsman.
 
Things got off to a fast start for the Falcons in the first, when both Ryan and McVicar hit back-to-back one-out singles. Emma McNally drove both in with a triple to right, immediately putting the Falcons up 2-0. After a walk put another runner on, Sommers hit a pop fly into foul territory in left field, deep enough to bring McNally home. With two outs, Quick got a chance to immediately help herself out, with a two-run homer to left field to make it 5-0, Falcons, after one.
 
Orange (8-7) answered back in the bottom of the first inning, when a lead-off walk, followed by a pair of singles, loaded the bases with nobody out. A sac fly to left field scored the first run, and the Colts got a three-run blast from the next batter to pull the margin to 5-4, Falcons. Quick pitched around a single and a walk to limit the damage, and get the Falcons to the second inning.
 
The last of three straight hits to open the top of the second was a Ryan single to short, scoring a run to make it 6-4, Lackawanna. Later, with two outs, McNally got another RBI, when she doubled to left to score Ryan and make it 7-4, Falcons, heading into the bottom frame, where Quick would pitch around a triple, to keep Orange off the scoreboard.  
 
Sommers led off the third with a solo homer to left field to put another run across, and Quick reached on a single to short, then advanced to second on a throwing error, putting a runner in scoring position with nobody out. After Jennifer Wolak reached on another error, a ground out scored Quick to make it 9-4. Fritz climbed aboard with a single, and Ryan hit a sac fly to right that would score Wolak. With two out, McVicar singled to center on a line drive, bringing home another run to make it 11-4.
 
Quick pitched around an error in the bottom of the third, and the top of the fourth was where the Falcon offense really started to click into gear. A lead-off single, followed by a double, put two on with nobody out. The Falcons had two straight outs, and that's where the magic really kicked on for Lackawanna. A Ruschman walk loaded the bases, and Fritz doubled to left, scoring a pair of runs. Ryan followed with a double on a liner to left, bringing another pair home to make it 15-4. McVicar stepped in, and the righty launched a homerun to left field, scoring another pair of runs. With the bases clear, the Falcons started putting runners back on, when McNally doubled, and Skylynn Gilligan singled to put two on, still with two out. Sommers followed with a one-run double, and Stephanie Kibbe and Wolak each hit one-run singles to stretch the lead to 20-4, after the top of the fourth.   
 
With Kibbe now on the mound, the Falcons got the first two outs in the bottom of the fourth, before a walk, followed by two singles, loaded the bases with two away. An error on the infield allowed two runs to come home, but a fielder's choice ended the inning, with the Falcons in front, 20-6.    
 
In the top of the fifth, a lead-off double was later paid off with a one-out double from McVicar, scoring a run to make it 21-6. A line-out put two away, but a Gilligan single put two onboard, allowing Sommers to come to the plate. She'd deliver with an RBI double to center, scoring McVicar, only to be followed by two one-run singles, each coming from Kibbe and Wolak. Another single loaded the bases, and the Falcons hit three straight one-run singles to push the lead to 27-6. An error on the infield allowed one more run to score, before a strikeout finally ended the top half.  
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Colts got a base runner on an error, and a double put runners on second and third with one out. A ground out to short scored one run, but another ground out, this one to Kibbe, ended the game, and gave the Falcons the win in five innings, due to the sportsmanship rule.   
 
Game Two Recap: Lackawanna College 15 – 9 SUNY Orange


Lackawanna College had to overcome a seven-run deficit after just one inning of play, and then rallied again from down 9-7 to pull away with a 15-9 victory in game two of the doubleheader against SUNY Orange on Thursday afternoon in New York.     
 
Lackawanna College (20-14), after being held scoreless in the top of the first, scored runs in the other six innings, putting 19 hits in total on the board. Of the nine batters to come to the plate, eight got hits, and seven had more than two hits for the Falcons. Lackawanna College had nine extra base hits, including seven doubles, and the Falcons also stole five bases on the day. Emma McNally was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs, hitting a pair of doubles in the game, while Savannah Glover and MacKayla Quick were each 3-for-4. Glover had an RBI, coming on a single, while Quick had two RBI and three runs scored. Kira Ryan was 2-for-4 with a team-high four RBI and three runs, hitting a two-run triple and a two-run homerun on the day. Meghan Fritz got her sixth win of the year, pitching all seven innings for the Falcons, allowing nine runs on 13 hits, while striking out a pair and walking seven batters.
 
After a wild game one, the Falcons had their first and only 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first, which fired up the Colts (8-8) heading into the bottom frame. A lead-off single, followed by a one-out single, put two on with just one out. A pair of one-run singles made it 2-0, Orange, and a walk loaded the bases, still with one out. Fritz induced a fielder's choice from third to home to get the second out, but a bases loaded walk made it 3-0, Colts. A two-run single, followed by a two-run double, broke things open, giving the Colts a 7-0 after just one inning.
 
In the top of the second, the Falcons immediately put pressure on the hosts, when McNally led off with a double, then advanced to third on a passed ball. Skylynn Gilligan grounded out to second, manufacturing the run to put the Falcons on the board. Sommers hit a one-out double to left, and Quick followed with an RBI double to scored Sommers. Quick stole third, then came home on a Glover single to left, cutting the lead to 7-3, Orange.
 
After Fritz pitched around a single in the bottom of the second, the Falcons completed the comeback in the top frame of the third. A Fritz lead-off single was rewarded with a two-run homerun to center from Ryan, bringing the Falcons within two. Later, with one out, McNally reached on a single, then stole second, putting herself in scoring position. Gilligan grounded out to second for out number two, but Sommers followed with a double to center to score McNally. Quick delivered the tying run with a single to right, making it 7-all. The Falcons had things cooking, with runners on second and third and two outs, but a ground out ended the scoring threat for Lackawanna.   
 
SUNY Orange struck back in the bottom of the third, using a lead-off single and a walk to put two on, right away. Fritz got a bunt out, followed by a strikeout, to put two away, but a walk loaded the bases. A two-out RBI single to center scored a pair, giving the Colts a 9-7 lead. Fritz induced a ground out to end the inning and avoid any more damage.  
 
The Falcons managed to tie things up again in the top of the fourth. A pair of one-out walks put two on, and a passed ball put runners on second and third. McNally would provide the big hit with the tying two-run single, drawing the Falcons even again at 9-all. McNally stole second, still with one out, but a pair of ground outs ending the inning.
 
The Falcons would finally get themselves in front in the top of the fifth. A lead-off walk by Quick put a runner on, followed by a sac bunt, and steal. With Quick at third and one out, Tess Ruschman put the Falcons in the lead, with the go-ahead RBI single to make it 10-9. Later, with runners on second and third and one out, Ryan smashed a triple to right field, scoring a pair of runs. Ryan would come home on a passed ball, making it 13-9, Falcons.
 
Fritz got herself out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth inning, and the Falcons added a run in the top of the sixth, when three straight hits loaded the bases with nobody out. Fritz lifted a fly ball to center, which was deep enough to score a runner, but the inning was cut short when a line drive double play ended the scoring threat.
 
Lackawanna would add one more run in the top of the seventh, when McVicar led the inning off with double, and would come home to score on a fielder's choice to make it 15-9, Falcons. In the bottom half of the seventh, Fritz gave up a two-out single, followed by a walk, but she recovered nicely to induce the game-ending ground out to third, sending the Falcons to their eighth win in their last eleven games, and their third straight positive result on the bounce.
 
Lackawanna gets right back to work on Friday, April 22^nd, when the Falcons travel to Lincroft, NJ for their doubleheader with nationally ranked Brookdale CC. The first game is scheduled for 3:30pm ET, and the second will follow around 5:30pm ET.
 
The Falcons will then 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.