Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 3/7/23
 
MYRTLE BEACH, SC -- Lackawanna College softball split another doubleheader in Spring Break action, falling to Patrick & Henry CC (VA) by a 12-5 margin in game one, and rallying for a 2-1 win in game two over Olney Central College (IL) in Myrtle Beach, SC.
 
In their previous two losses this year, the Falcons (3-3) were plagued by slow starts, allowing both Kaskaskia and Delta College to score multiple runs early, and left themselves with a hole to dig out of. That ended up being the case once again against Patrick & Henry, as the Patriots (9-8) scored five early runs then tacked on an extra seven in the final three innings to outpace the Falcons.
 
Gabby Wettig (Manheim, PA) had a solid game, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBI, and a double, while Savannah Glover (Susquehanna, PA) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Madison McVicar (Blakely, PA) was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a double, and Allyson Lemerise (Catonsville, MD) was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Aria Reyes (Allentown, PA) was tagged with the loss, going three innings and giving up five runs, four earned, on four hits. Lackawanna walked seven batters, while striking out just two.
 
Patrick & Henry loaded the bases in the top of the first with nobody out, and a two-run single started the scoring for the Patriots. The Patriots would add two more on another single to center, with an error in the outfield bringing home a pair of runs to make it 4-0, Patrick & Henry, before an out was recorded. Another RBI single, this time with two outs, made it 5-0 after the top of the first.
 
In the bottom of the second, the Falcons got a single, a walk, and an error that loaded the bases with one out. A fielder's choice forced the out at home for two, but a bases loaded walk to Madison Maloney (Scranton, PA) gave Lackawanna a run that made it 5-1. A ground out stranded the bases loaded before the Falcons could do anything else.
 
In the bottom of the third, A Catarena Sommers (Windham, OH) walk, followed by McVicar's double, put runners in scoring position with nobody out. Wetting smashed a two-run double into right field, and advanced to third on the throw, inching the Falcons closer at 5-3. Wetting came home on a Glover RBI single that made it 5-4, still with no one out. A pitching change proved to be the remedy for Patrick & Henry, as the Patriots got a fielder's choice, a ground out, and a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Still leading 5-4 in the top of the fifth, Patrick & Henry went back to work, getting a one-out single, followed by a hit-by-pitch, to set up a two-run double to left field that stretched it out to 7-4. Later, after a walk put runners on the corners, a double steal attempt proved successful, as Glover threw out the runner trying to steal second, but the runner at third was successful coming home to give P&H an 8-4 advantage.
 
The Falcons got one back in the bottom of the fifth, when a Lemerise single with one-out loaded the bases, and the Falcons pushed a run across thanks to some good base running from Wettig. With runners in scoring position, and the tying run at the plate, the Falcons couldn't convert, as a strikeout and a groundout ended the threat.
 
The Patriots worked two walks and a sac fly, followed by three straight singles, to up their lead to 11-5 in the top of the sixth. They'd tack on one more in the seventh when a wild pitch brought a runner home.
 
The second game of the doubleheader was certainly a little tighter for the Falcons, as Lackawanna overcame a one-run deficit, and a no-hit attempt from Olney Central, to score two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a lead it wouldn't surrender in a nervy 2-1 win.
 
On a night when offense came at a premium, Madison Maloney (Scranton, PA) was the hero, delivering a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning that proved to be the difference. Maloney's single was one of three hits for the Falcons, with the other two coming from Emilee Dickinson (Hillsboro, OR) and Gwen Balavage (Avoca, PA).
 
Alivia Graber (North Syracuse, NY) had herself a much better performance on the mound to pick up her first W on the season, going seven strong, giving up one run, unearned, on three hits, while striking out six.  
 
She set the tone early, getting a 1-2-3 top of the first with two strikeouts, but the Falcons weren't doing much more on offense, going 1-2-3 themselves in the bottom frame.
 
The first baserunner for either team came in the bottom of the second, when Madison McVicar (Blakely, PA) reached on a hit by pitch, but, even after she stole second with one out, it made no difference, as Lackawanna came up empty.
 
The first hit came in the top of the third, on a two-out single for Olney Central. Graber walked the next batter to put two on, but got the fly out to get out of the jam and keep things scoreless.
 
Olney threatened again in the top of the fourth, when an error on the infield, followed by back-to-back walks, loaded the bases with two outs, but Graber did her job and stranded the runners with a groundout to end the inning.
 
Still scoreless in the top of the fifth, another error gave Olney a base runner, and a sac bunt moved the runner to second. A single, followed by a fielder's choice with the play to second, gave the Blue Knights (6-4) a 1-0 lead. Graber got a fly out to end the threat.
 
Still searching for their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fifth, the Falcons got their answer when Dickinson singled to center with one out to give Lackawanna its first baserunner since the second inning. A fly out put two away, but Balavage stepped up and singled on a ground ball to second to put two on with two away. Kira Ryan (Alburtis, PA) worked an eight-pitch at-bat for a walk to load the bases, which gave Maloney her chance to shine, singling to center and driving in two runs to put the Falcons up 2-1.
 
Suddenly pitching from in front, Graber had a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, then pitched around a one-out single and a walk to get a fielder's choice and a fly out to end the game and give the Falcons their third win of the season and a solid come-from-behind win against a Division I opponent.
 
The Falcons are back in action tomorrow (Wednesday, March 7^th) with just one game in Myrtle Beach, SC, starting at 7:00pm ET when they take on William Peace University.