3/30/23
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – A late rally in game one gave Lackawanna College softball all the momentum it needed in game two to rocket past the Colts from SUNY Orange and win their home doubleheader, 11-10 and 11-0, on Thursday afternoon at Scranton High's softball field.
 
The Falcons (9-4) rallied from an 8-1 deficit in the top of the fourth inning of game one, scoring nine runs over the next three innings, then getting one more run in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with the wild win at 11-10. Lackawanna had no trouble in game two, scoring eleven runs in the first three innings to run-rule the Colts (1-13) in five innings of game two.
 
In game one, Gwen Balavage (Avoca, PA) led the charge, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, while Madison McVicar (Blakely, PA) was 1-for-5 with three RBI. Catarena Sommers (Windham, OH) went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Gabby Wettig (Manheim, PA) and Tess Ruschman (Easton, PA) each went 2-for-5 to help the Falcons to the win. Aria Reyes (Allentown, PA) pitched three innings of relief, giving up two runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts to get her second win of the year.
 
It wasn't a great start for the Falcons, as Orange was able to use a leadoff walk and an error on the infield to get a pair of runners on, bringing one home on an RBI single. Alivia Graber (North Syracuse, NY) got out of the jam, striking out three straight batters to get into the dugout.
 
In the bottom frame, a Wetting one-out double was the first Falcon hit, but Lackawanna couldn't do anything with it. The bottom of the second started much better, as Balavage cranked a leadoff homer to right-center field to tie things up at 1-1. An error, followed by a walk, put two on, and then a one-out walk from Kira Ryan (Albertus, PA) loaded the bases. But, an infield fly out, followed by a play at the plate, ended the Falcons threat and left things tied at one.
 
The wheels came off for the Falcons in the top of the third, as the Colts used a two-run homer to recapture the lead, then had an RBI single, followed by a single and an error that plated three more to push the Colts lead up to 7-1 after 2.5 innings. Orange added another run in the top of the fourth on a sac fly to right, putting the Falcons in an 8-1 hole heading into the bottom frame.
 
In the bottom frame, a pair of walks, followed by a Ryan single, loaded the bases with nobody out. Ruschman brought one run in to make it 8-2, but a baserunning mistake cost the Falcons a runner. Wetting hit an RBI single, then Sommers drilled a one-run double to make it 8-4. McVicar reached on an error at third, and another run came home to cut it to 8-5. Orange was able to recover and get out of the inning with a pop up and a line out to end the threat.
 
Reyes came in and retired the side 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth inning, and the Falcons came for another run, getting a two-out single from Ryan, who came home to score on an RBI single from Ruschman to cut the deficit to 8-6.
 
Reyes retired the side in order once again in the top of the sixth, and the Falcons took advantage in the bottom frame. Sommers reached on a bang-bang play at first to get a single, and McVicar brought her home on an RBI triple, then scored on an error at third base to tie things up at 8-all, just like that. A Balavage double got the Falcons a baserunner again, and Allyson Lemerise (Catonsville, MD) brought the run home with a double to center and give the Falcons the 9-8 lead. A Madison Maloney (Scranton, PA) double to right scored another rrun, and gave the Falcons a 10-8 advantage. Still with nobody out, SUNY Orange rallied to get three straight outs and get out of the inning.
 
And, credit to the Colts' resolve, they responded in the top of the seventh. A one-out single, followed by a double, put runners in scoring position. Immediately, an RBI double tied the game up, but Reyes recovered to get a pair of groundouts and get out of the inning, giving the Falcons a chance to try to walk it off in the seventh.
 
An error on a fly ball in center allowed Sommers to get aboard and get to second. A pop-out put one away, but Balavage made sure to walk things off, slamming an RBI single up the middle to bring Sommers home and give the Falcons an improbable victory in game one.
 
In game two, Sommers was 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and two RBI, while Reyes went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Krista Scoblick (Harvey's Lake, PA) went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, with a double, while Savannah Glover (Susquehanna, PA) was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Ruschman got her second win of the year in the circle, pitching five innings and keeping the Colts off the board, while allowing just two hits and striking out a batter.
 
Ruschman danced out of trouble in the top of the first, after the Colts had runners at first and second with just one out. A ground ball to Maloney at short was flipped to Lemerise at third for one, who quickly fired over to Reyes at second, who applied a tag and just beat the runner to the bag to end the early threat.
 
The Falcons had the bases loaded in the bottom of the first with two away, but a pop up ended the threat. Ruschman settled in and retired the side in order to start the second, and the Falcons took advantage in the bottom frame, using a single, followed by an RBI double from Glover to give the Falcons the 1-0 advantage. A passed ball eventually brought Glover home, but the Colts retired the Falcons from there to get out of the inning.
 
The bottom of the third was where Lackawanna really did its work. Leading 2-0, a Sommers double, followed by a one-out Emilee Dickinson (Hillsboro, OR) walk, provided a big momentum swing for the Falcons, as Dickinson started to advance towards second, which prompted a throw to second base. While Dickinson was trapped in a rundown, Sommers made a break for home. The throw to the plate was late, as Sommers slid in safely, and Dickinson used the distraction at the dish to scoot to second. A triple from Lemerise to center scored Dickinson and made it 4-0, Falcons. A pitching change was made, but a Reyes RBI single, followed by a walk, put two on, still with one out. Sophia Mandarano (Dunmore, PA) singled to left to load the bases, and a bases loaded walk brought home another run, making it 6-0, Falcons. Scoblick then delivered, smacking a two-run double to left. Sommers came back up and she doubled to left as well, scoring two more runs to make it 10-0, Falcons. With two outs, Dickinson drew another walk, and Riley Ernst (Youngsville, NY) pinch hit with an RBI single to score another run and put the Falcons up 11-0. A strike out ended the inning before the Falcons could try to put more on the board.
 
Another quiet top half gave way to the bottom frame, where the Falcons put two on, but couldn't push any more runs across, setting up the final at-bats for SUNY Orange. Ruschman came back out to seal things up, and delivered another 1-2-3 inning, securing the shutout win and the sweep on the day for Lackawanna College.
 
The Falcons, winners of five in a row, are back in action on Friday, March 31^st, at Brookdale CC for a doubleheader at 3:00pm ET in Lincroft, NJ.