3/22/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Pitching and defense paved the way for a Lackawanna College softball sweep of Anne Arundel CC, 9-1 and 4-2, on Friday afternoon at Scranton HS softball field in non-region action.
 
The Falcons (14-7) turned a combined three double plays, committed just one error, and held the visiting Riverhawks (3-7) to three combined runs on eleven hits in two games. Sophomores Allyson Lemerise (Catonsville, MD) and Alivia Graber (North Syracuse, NY) each pitched complete games, striking out a combined seven batters to pick up the victories. Meanwhile, the offense did just enough, piling on runs late in game one to earn a run-rule victory, and scoring all four runs in game two with two outs to secure a sixth straight win.
 
Lackawanna overcame a 1-0 deficit in game one, steadily building a lead before scoring four runs in the sixth to end the game in six innings via the run-rule. Lemerise was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI, hitting a triple and a run-scoring single, while both Madison Maloney (Sophomore; Scranton, PA) and Skylar Borthwick (Sophomore; Pittston, PA) each had two hits and two runs scored. Morgan McVicar (First Year; Blakely, PA) was 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI, and Lemerise got the win, her third of the year, going six innings and giving up one run on three hits, while striking out four.
 
Game two saw the visitors score in the first again, and tie the game up at 2-2, but all four of the Falcons' runs came with two outs, and Lackawanna College managed to hold on for the tight win. Trailing 1-0 in the third, Lemerise doubled to score McVicar, and Pieper singled to score Lemerise to give Lackawanna a lead, all with two outs. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, and the game tied at 2-2, the Falcons struck again, this time courtesy of Borthwick and McVicar hitting back-to-back RBI-doubles to make it 4-2. That would be all the scoring, as defense took it the rest of the way. Borthwick finished 3-for-3 with one run scored and a RBI, while McVicar, Lemerise, and Paige Pieper (First Year; Middleton, ID) all had runs driven in. Graber picked up her third win of the season, giving up two runs on eight hits and striking out three for the victory.
 
Lackawanna has now won six in a row, and the Falcons will look to keep it going when they host the Hudson Valley CC Vikings on Tuesday, March 26^th. First pitch of the doubleheader is at 3:00pm ET at Scranton HS Softball field.  
 
In game one, it was the visitors that held the lead early, taking advantage of a leadoff walk to eventually score on a two-out double that made it 1-0. An error almost cost Lackawanna's defense, when runners got to second and third, and then Lemerise hit a batter to load the bases with two down. But, she settled in, got a pop up to short to end the inning, and the Falcons took over from there.
 
First, Lackawanna immediately tied the game in the bottom frame, when Lemerise singled to center to score Maloney with two outs and make it 1-1. After a nifty 6-4-3 double play got the Falcons out of the top of the third, they added two more runs in the bottom frame. An error let Borthwick base to lead off the inning, and McVicar tripled to the left field corner to score Borthwick and make it 2-1, Falcons. McVicar would score on a subsequent ground out, and the Falcons threatened for more with a pair of two out walks before a liner ended the inning at 3-1, Falcons.
 
In the top of the fourth, Lemerise was in trouble after three straight walks loaded the bases with nobody out, but a strikeout, which was followed by a fielder's choice and a line out, helped Lemerise get out of the jam and keep the opposition off the board.
 
Later, another double play, this time of the 1-6-3 variety, in the fifth inning gave the Falcons some momentum heading into the bottom frame, still ahead 3-1. A leadoff single was rewarded with a triple to left for Lemerise, scoring the run to make it 4-1. Pieper doubled into the gap in left-center to push the Falcons' advantage to 5-1. Lackawanna would get more in the bottom of the sixth, when two straight singles put runners on the corners, and a McVicar sac fly scored one run. Three straight singles plated another run, and an error on the infield put another home, making it 8-1 with two outs. Kaislyn Currie (First Year; Owens, AB) delivered the knock out blow with a single to right field to score the ninth run of the game and end things early via the run-rule.
 
Much like the first game, game two saw the Riverhawks grab an early lead, taking advantage of a leadoff walk with a one-out RBI-single to take a 1-0 lead right from the start. Another one-out single threatened to really set the inning off, but a ground ball to Borthwick at second base was handled perfectly, as they raced to her right to hit the bag, pivoted on her left foot, and fired a dart to first base to get the out for the double play. The Falcons wasted an opportunity in the bottom of the first, loading the bases with two outs but not cashing in.
 
Anne Arundel led the third off with a double, then had runners on the corners with one out, when a ground ball to short was thrown home to get the lead runner out, preventing the run from scoring and keeping it at 1-0. The Falcons got a fly out to get out of the inning, giving themselves some momentum heading into the bottom half.
 
A one-out double from Borthwick got the Falcons a baserunner, but Borthwick strayed off the bag and was thrown out on a ground ball on the infield, leaving the Falcons with a baserunner at first with two outs. Lemerise delivered again, doubling down the left field line to score the tying run. Pieper followed with a single up the middle, driving in Lemerise to give the Falcons the 2-1 lead after three.
 
In the fourth, the visitors got the run back, when a wild pitch with runners on the corners and one out let a run come home. Before more damage could be done, Graber induced a ground out, then got a soft pop-up on the infield to get out of the inning. In the bottom frame, the two-out Falcons struck again. Emmalee Mowery (First Year; Mechanicsburg, PA) bunted herself on with one out, then stole second with two away. She was rewarded with a double from Borthwick to recover the lead for the Falcons. McVicar then followed with a double to center to score Borthwick and make it 4-2, Falcons.
 
In the top of the fifth, a single with a runner on first and two outs looked to be trouble for the Falcons, but McVicar caught the lead runner at third with an excellent relay throw to Lemerise for the tag and the out. Other than a handful of combined singles, that was it for the offense from either side, as the Falcons hung on for the victory.