3/30/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – An offensive explosion in game two was enough to snap the Lackawanna College softball winning streak at 13, as the Falcons were forced to share the spoils with Monroe College in a doubleheader split on a breezy Saturday afternoon at Scranton HS Softball Field. Lackawanna won game one, 10-2, in five innings, before dropping game two by a wild 16-14 margin.
 
The Falcons (21-8) didn't have any trouble scoring, especially in a game one that ended early due to the run-rule. Madison Maloney (Sophomore; Scranton, PA) highlighted a five-run second inning when she crushed a ball to left-center field for her first career homerun, a grand slam, and the Falcons plated runs later in the came courtesy of doubles from Allyson Lemerise (Sophomore; Catonsville, MD) and Emmalee Mowery (First Year; Mechanicsburg, PA). In fact, it was Mowery's second double of the game that ended things early, smacking a one-out double to center to score a pair of runs and walk off the Falcons for the game one victory.
 
Mowery was a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Mazzie Musgrave (First Year; Old Forge, PA) went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and run driven in. Maloney had her four RBI courtesy of the grand slam, and Lemerise walked twice and scored a run, while driving in another. Lemerise got the win, giving up two runs on four hits in five innings of work, striking out six for the win.
 
Game two saw the Falcons scored 12 runs in the first three innings and pound out 17 total hits for the game, but a seven-run fifth inning from Monroe (9-19) turned a deficit into a lead that the Mustangs would never surrender, as Monroe hung on for the 16-14 slugfest victory.
 
Trialing 4-1 in the bottom of the second, Lackawanna struck for six runs, highlighted by back-to-back RBI doubles from Morgan McVicar (First Year; Blakely, PA) and Lemerise. An error on the infield scored another, and the Falcons added a one-run single to make it 7-4 after two. Monroe roared back, scoring four in the inning to reclaim an 8-7 advantage, but the Falcons added five more runs in the bottom of the third on four different RBI singles, taking a 12-8 lead into the fourth inning.
 
Aria Reyes (Sophomore; Allentown, PA) came on in relief, and initially threw a 1-2-3 fourth inning to give the Falcons a boost, but Lackawanna wasted a one-out base runner in the bottom half with an unfortunate line out into a double play, and that set up the nightmare fifth inning.
 
A pop out to center got things started, but three straight singles loaded the bases. Reyes issued a pair of bases-loaded walks to cut the Falcons lead down to 12-10, then got a fly out to put two away. Pinch-hitter Sarah Wall, who pitched in game one, singled to center to score a pair, then a two-run double followed to score another pair and make it 14-12, Mustangs. Monroe added another on a one-run single, before Reyes eventually got a ground out to herself to end the inning. Monroe scored seven runs on six hits to take a three-run lead.
 
Lackawanna couldn't do anything with a one-out base runner in the bottom of the fifth, and Monroe wasted a runner on second with two outs in the sixth. A two-out single for Mowery was followed by a Maloney RBI-double, cutting it to 15-13. An error on the infield let Maloney score to cut it to one, but a ground out ended the inning before Lackawanna could try to cut in further.
 
Brianna Dinice (First Year; Terryville, CT) entered the game to pitch, and initially got the first out, but a one-out double from Wall, followed by a wild pitch, put a Mustang in scoring position at third. A walk put runners on the corners, and Monroe called for a double-steal. While Paige Pieper (First Year; Middleton, ID) combined with Maloney to throw out the runner going for second, that was enough of a window for Wall to steal home and score a crucial insurance run to push the lead to 16-14.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons got a two-out single to get some life, but a strikeout ended the game and halted the Lackawanna win streak.
 
Maloney was a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a run driven in, while Lemerise was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Alexis Semanek (Sophomore; Wilkes-Barre, PA) was 3-for-5 with three RBI, and Mowery stayed hot, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored. McVicar went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Reyes was tagged with the loss, giving up seven runs on seven hits in three innings pitched.
 
The loss snaps a 13-game win streak for Lackawanna, its longest since the 2017 season. The Falcons will take a few days off before opening Region XIX play on Tuesday, April 2^nd, when Lackawanna travels to Raritan Valley CC for a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 3:30pm ET in Branchburg, NJ.