4/23/22
 
SB: Late Game Heroics Help Lackawanna Sweep Raritan Valley
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – They left it late in both games, but the Lackawanna College softball team twice managed to score big in the bottom of the sixth inning, twice, to knock off the Raritan Valley CC Lions in a pair of Region XIX match-ups on Saturday afternoon at Scranton High's softball field. Kira Ryan's two-run single on a liner to left helped Lackawanna overcome a late 3-2 deficit to win 4-3 in game one, while the Falcons scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth, in a game where they only managed three hits, to win 5-2 in game two of the doubleheader.
 
Lackawanna College (23-15, 3-2) got a pair of much-needed wins in Region XIX play, and got solid outings from both MacKayla Quick and Meghan Fritz, who held the Lions from Raritan to a combined five runs on ten hits, just two earned, with nine combined strikeouts. Both Quick and Fritz pitched all seven games for the Falcons.  
 
Game One Recap: Lackawanna College 4 – 3 Raritan Valley CC
Kira Ryan gave the Falcons a late lead, and MacKayla Quick made it stand up, as Lackawanna College came back to knock off Raritan Valley, 4-3, in the first game of the doubleheader on cloudy, but otherwise pleasant Saturday afternoon in Scranton.
 
Lackawanna College (22-15, 2-2), trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, had runners on second and third with two out, when Kira Ryan slapped a liner that just cleared the infield and bounced into left, allowing the two runners to score and putting the Falcons on top at 4-3. Raritan Valley (2-9, 0-5) had a runner on second in the top of the seventh after a lead-off double, but Quick was able to get a big double play with the next batter. A grounder to short was scooped by Savannah Glover, who fired across the infield to Skylynn Gilligan for one. Gilligan espied the runner making a break for third, gathered herself and quickly whipped the ball back across the diamond to third, where Jennifer Wolak applied the tag in time for the double play. Quick got a pop out to end the inning and hand the win to the Falcons.
 
 Ryan was 1-for-3 with two RBI, all thanks to her go-ahead single in the bottom of the sixth. Catarena Sommers was 2-for-3, while Wolak was 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Quick went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Glover was also 1-for-3, with an RBI. Quick got her eleventh win of the season, allowing three runs on six hits, while striking out four batters on the day.
 
Quick got the Falcons off on the right foot with a 1-2-3 top half of the first, and Meghan Fritz did her best to help Quick out with a lead-off triple in the bottom of the first. The Falcons wouldn't be able to convert, striking out twice and then popping out to first to end the inning.
 
The Lions got a triple in the top of the second with two outs, but Quick struck out the next batter to keep things scoreless. Lackawanna would help her out, putting a pair of runs on the board in the bottom of the second. An error, followed by a single, put two on with nobody out. Quick brought the first run in with a single to left, making it 1-0, Falcons. Another single loaded the bases, and a ground out from Glover scored another to make it 2-0, Lackawanna.
 
In the top of the third, with two outs and a runner on third, Raritan got an RBI single to bring one run home. Quick was able to strand the additional runner on a fly out.
 
Raritan took the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out and runners on the corners, a passed ball let one run come home. After a strikeout put two away, another single gave the Lions the lead at 3-2. The Lions got aggressive and went for more, but Gwen Balavage picked off a runner trying to steal second to end the top of the fourth.  
 
The Falcons stranded two runners in both the fourth and the fifth innings, while the Lions managed just one baserunner in the same frame, setting up the big bottom of the sixth rally from the Falcons.
 
Trailing 3-2, Wolak started the rally with a one-out double to center. A Glover grounder to short put Wolak on third, but also put two away. Fritz managed to keep the inning going when she reached after getting hit by a pitch, then stole second to put both baserunners in scoring position, bringing Ryan to the plate. Ryan swung and connected on a 3-1 pitch, looping a liner over the outstretched glove of the shortstop, skipping off the edge of the infield and into left. Wolak easily scored to tie, and Fritz just beat the tag at the plate, sliding in to make it 4-3, Falcons, giving them the lead and, eventually, the win.   
 
Game Two Recap: Lackawanna College 5 – 2 Raritan Valley CC


Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, and muddling through a game where they had just one hit to that point, Lackawanna College finally broke through with four runs, flipping the script for the second game in a row, and helping the Falcons to a 5-2 victory, securing a sweep over Raritan Valley, and clinching their third straight Region XIX victory.
 
Lackawanna College (23-15, 3-2) struggled mightily through the game on offense through the first five innings, managing just one hit and striking out seven times to that point. In the bottom of the sixth, trailing 2-1, the Falcons got a lead-off baserunner when Madison McVicar reached on an error, and was brought home to tie the game on an Emma McNally RBI double to center. McNally scored the go-ahead run on a hard ground ball from Skylynn Gilligan that skipped off the first baseman's glove and into foul territory, giving McNally just enough time to slide in safely at home. Catarena Sommers would give the Falcons just enough cushion in the next at-bat, crushing a two-run jack to left field to make it 5-2, Falcons. Meghan Fritz, who got her seventh win of the year in the circle, managed to pitch around runners on second and third with one out in the top of the seventh, striking out a batter and inducing a pop-up at short to finish the game.
 
The Falcons had just three hits on the day, coming from McNally (1-for-3), Sommers (1-for-3), and Tess Ruschman (1-for-3). Sommers had the two RBI on the homer, while McNally and Ruschman each had one-run doubles. Fritz allowed two runs on four hits, striking out five in seven innings of work for the victory.
 
The Lions (2-10, 0-6) got a run in the top of the first, when a two-out RBI double to right brought the first run across. Lackawanna was able to recover quickly to end the inning, however, thanks to a good relay from Sommers to Ruschman to MacKayla Quick to pick off the runner trying to stretch the double to third.   
 
Kira Ryan drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first, then stole second and third to put herself in scoring position. Another walk put runners on the corners, but a double steal led to Ryan being gunned down at the plate for the second out. A strikeout ended the inning, keeping Raritan Valley in front after one.
 
After Fritz pitched around two baserunners in the top of the second, the Falcons got the run back in the bottom of the second, with their patented two-out magic. A walk from Quick put a runner on, and Ruschman doubled her home on a fly ball to center, tying things at 1-all.  
 
Raritan used the top of the third to reclaim the lead, when a fielder's choice, followed by a wild pitch and a passed ball, put a runner on third with one out. The Lions completed their run manufacturing, as a ground out to second was enough to score the runner and put Raritan back in front at 2-1.   
 
Raritan had a chance to add another run, when an error, followed by a wild pitch, put a runner on third with one out, but Fritz got a pair of strikeouts to strand the runner in the top of the fourth. Another error put a runner on-base in the top of the fifth, but Fritz got three straight outs to keep things at a 2-1 deficit.  
 
Fritz reached on a two-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, and stole second to put herself in scoring position, but a strikeout stranded her, keeping Raritan in front. It wouldn't be till the bottom of the sixth, where the Falcons finally woke up and had their big inning to claim the lead, and, eventually, the win.
 
The Falcons have one more doubleheader this weekend, when they host Lock Haven University's club team on Sunday, April 24^that Scranton High's softball field. The first game of the twinbill is set for a 12:00pm start, with the second to follow at 2:00pm ET. There will be a video livestream available for both games via the Lackawanna College Athletics YouTube channel, at www.lackawannafalcons.com/YouTube.