4/24/22
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – The Lackawanna College Softball team kept the good vibes rolling at home, using a pair of shut-down pitching efforts to hold the club softball team from Lock Haven scoreless in both games on Sunday afternoon at Scranton HS. The Falcons won the first game 8-0 in five innings, and then the second game 9-0, also in five innings. The wins run the Lackawanna streak to seven of eight games this weekend, including their last five in a row.
 
Lackawanna College (25-15) got two strong outings from Stephanie Kibbe and Jennifer Wolak, who allowed a combined three hits while striking out eleven batters, and walking just one, across both games. That strong effort on the bump allowed the Falcons to do their work at the plate, combining four six extra base knocks over the two games, and 21 total base hits.  
 
Game One Recap: Lackawanna College 8 – 0 Lock Haven Club
Lackawanna College overcame a sluggish start to score all eight of their runs over the course of the final three innings, knocking off the Bald Eagles from Lock Haven's club softball team, 8-0, in five innings in game one of the doubleheader on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Scranton.
 
Lackawanna College (24-15) was held scoreless through two innings, but a solo homerun from Tess Ruschman was the breakthrough they needed. Ruschman delivered again in the fourth with a two-run single, helping spark a four-run inning for the Falcons, who would then score three more in the bottom of the fifth to end things early. Ruschman finished 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBI, including her homerun, her first of the year. Kira Ryan was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Skylynn Gilligan was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Falcons. Stephanie Kibbe, in just her second start of the year, picked up the win, pitching a one-hit shut-out over five innings, striking out five and walking one.  
 
Lock Haven started the game with what would turn out to be their only hit, a lead-off single to get things going. Kibbe got a strikeout for the first out, but a walk put two on with one out. Kibbe then induced a ground out, followed by a line out, to keep things clean in the top of the first. Kibbe would follow that up with a one-out single in the bottom frame, and the Falcons had two on with one out, but the Bald Eagles got an infield fly, followed by a strikeout, the end the threat and strand the runners.  
 
Kibbe retired the side in order twice in a row, and the bottom of the third was where the Falcons finally found their breakthrough, when Ruschman jumped on a pitch and gave it a ride to left field, just clearing the fence for her first homer of the year, making it 1-0, Falcons. Lackawanna got a few more singles, but Lock Haven was able to keep them from scoring more in the third.  
 
Another 1-2-3 inning gave way to the bottom of the fourth, where the Falcons would pounce once again. Back-to-back singles from Savannah Glover and Kira Ryan put two on with nobody out.  A ground out put one away, but Ruschman would deliver again, this time with a two-run single to center, pushing the lead to 3-0, Falcons. Madison McVicar would reach with two outs, when a pop up on the infield was dropped, enabling Ruschman to come home and score, and also putting McVicar in scoring position. Gilligan would bring her home with an RBI single to center, making it 5-0, Lackawanna.
 
Kibbe went 1-2-3 again in the top of the fifth, her 14^th straight out, and the Falcons kept things rolling in the bottom frame, with their patented two-out work. Ryan doubled to center with two away to put a runner on, and Emma McNally drilled one to center to bring Ryan home. Ruschman reached on an error on the infield, and Kibbe was able to end things for herself, when she slapped a ground ball to the pitcher, whose errant throw allowed Kibbe to reach, and allowed both McNally and Ruschman to come home, ending the game at 8-0 via the sportsmanship rule.  
 
Game Two Recap: Lackawanna College 9 – 0 Lock Haven Club


Things went much the same in game two of the doubleheader between Lackawanna College and Lock Haven's club softball team, as the Falcons scored three in the first and six in the third, which would be all they needed, on their way to a 9-0 win in five innings on Sunday afternoon in Scranton.    
 
Lackawanna College (25-15) made quick work of the Bald Eagles, hitting the front in the first behind back-to-back RBI doubles, and then scoring six in the bottom of the third, while riding a two-hit shut-out to the victory. Emma McNally went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, while MacKayla Quick was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs. Jennifer Wolak went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored, and also got the win, pitching a two-hit shut-out through five innings, striking out six for the Falcons.     
 
Wolak got the Falcons off to a great start right away, retiring Lock Haven in order in the top of the first, setting up the Falcons for the bottom frame. Stephanie Kibbe reached base on an error on the infield with one out, and Quick followed that up with a single to center to put two on with one away. McNally would break the deadlock, lining a rocket to left field to score both Kibbe and Quick and make it 2-0, Falcons. Wolak immediately followed with a double to left of her own, bringing McNally home to make it 3-0.
 
Lock Haven got a pair of singles in the second inning to put two on, but Wolak was able to dance around it, and got a 6-5 fielder's choice to end the inning and strand the runners.
 
The Falcons had to wait until the bottom of the third to get some more runs across, but they wouldn't wait long. After an error allowed the lead-off batter to reach base, McNally ripped another double to the outfield, bringing home one run, and then she would come home on a single from Wolak, stretching the lead to 5-0. A ground out was the first out, but Kira Ryan singled to put runners on the corners. Meghan Fritz popped up to third, but a mistake on the infield allowed Wolak to score, and Ryan to advance to second. With two away, Glover reached on a fielder's choice, and Ryan beat the tag at third to keep the inning alive. With runners on the corners, Tess Ruschman hit a single up the middle, scoring Ryan to make it 7-0, Falcons. A Kibbe walk loaded the bases, and MacKayla Quick brought home a pair with a single to left, making it 9-0, Lackawanna. It seemed like the Falcons might have more coming, when McNally lined a laser to right field, but the right fielder made a nice grab on the run to finally end the inning.   
 
Wolak went 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, and the Falcons went quietly in the bottom half, setting up the last licks for Lock Haven in the top of the fifth. Wolak got a strikeout looking to get things going, then induced a pair of ground outs to retire the Bald Eagles in order and end the game early, due to the sportsmanship rule.   
 
With the wins, Lackawanna College has now won twelve of their last 15 games, with losses to Brookdale CC and Delaware Tech as the only blemishes on their record. The Falcons were 7-1 in the eight games they played this weekend, and have now won five in a row.  
 
Lackawanna College is back in action this week on Tuesday, April 26^th, when they play host to the Lehigh Carbon CC Cougars in a Region XIX cross-divisional doubleheader, scheduled for a 3:00pm ET start at the Scranton HS softball field. Both games will be streamed live on the Lackawanna College Athletics YouTube Channel, at www.lackawannafalcons.com/YouTube.