3/5/24
 
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC -- The Lackawanna College softball team kept its early-season winning streak alive with a pair of impressive wins on Tuesday at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic in South Carolina, downing Southeastern CC (NC) by a 12-3 score in five innings in game one, before dropping the Henry Ford Hawks by a 5-3 score in game two.
 
The Falcons (7-4) had no problems at the dish throughout the day, getting hits when they needed to and asserting themselves on the base paths early and often. The late innings proved decisive today, with Lackawanna scoring eleven runs in the fifth inning of game one to turn a two-run deficit into a run-rule victory, and then scoring three runs in the sixth inning of game two to turn a one-run deficit into the fifth straight win for the Falcons.
 
Game one was a tight contest for the first 4.5 innings. Lackawanna and Southeastern battled back-and-forth, with the Rams holding the upper-hand thanks to a bases-loaded walk, an infield single, and a sac fly in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, respectively.
 
Entering the bottom of the fifth, the Falcons had just three hits, while the Rams had already put up ten. But, the score was still just 3-1, and Lackawanna had a chance.
 
A dropped third strike started the bottom frame, putting Jillian Heimberger (First Year; Unionville, PA) on-base. A base hit and a hit batter loaded the bases with nobody out, but a fielder's choice at home was the inning's first out. But things unraveled for the Rams soon after that, when an error in left field on a ball hit by Morgan McVicar (First Year; Blakely, PA) plated a run. Another error, this time on the infield, allowed the tying run to cross and kept the bases loaded, still with one out. Emilee Dickinson (Sophomore; Hillsboro, OR) pumped a double to center to score two runs and give the Falcons a lead at 5-3. Allyson Lemerise (Sophomore; Catonsville, MD) then singled to short to score a run and make it 6-3, Falcons, still with one out. An error loaded the bases again, and a fielder's choice put two away, but the Falcons weren't done, as three straight singles resulted in four more runs, blowing the game wide open at 10-3. A passed ball put runners in scoring position, and McVicar delivered the knockout blow, doubling home a pair of runs to end the game via run-rule five innings.
 
Dickinson was 3-for-3 with a run scored, two RBI, and a pair of doubles, while McVicar was 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI, and a pair of doubles for herself. Emmalee Mowery (First Year; Mechanicsburg, PA) was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI at the bottom of the lineup. Every Falcon player scored a run on the day, and the Falcons only left three on-base all day.  Aria Reyes (Sophomore; Allentown, PA) picked up her third win of the year, giving up three runs on nine hits and striking out a pair over five innings of work.
 
 Game two was also a tight contest, as the Hawks and the Falcons battled to a scoreless draw through 2.5 innings. After Alivia Graber (Sophomore; North Syracuse, NY) battled out of a two-out single and then an error with a swinging strikeout in the top of the third, the Falcons got things going in the bottom half. Mowery reached on an error at first with one out. Maloney singled on a bunt to put two on, but a strikeout threatened to end the scoring threat. With two outs, McVicar stepped in again, this time with a hard single through the right side to score Mowery. The throw in, and subsequent throw back to try to get McVicar, allowed Maloney to score to make it 2-0, Falcons, with McVicar safe at second. The Falcons took that lead into the fifth inning.
 
An error on Graber allowed the leadoff batter aboard to start the fifth, and a hit batter put two on with nobody out. A pop out put one away, but a one-out walk loaded the bases. The Hawks traded a ground out to second for a run, then scored two more runs on a two-out triple to right-center to take a 3-2 lead over Lackawanna. A two-out walk put runners on the corners, but a diving catch by McVicar charging in to short left field ended the inning and gave the Falcons a much-needed break.
 
Brianna Dinice (First Year; Terryville, CT) came on in relief of Graber to start the top of the sixth, and Dinice pitched around a one-out single to give the Falcons a chance in the bottom frame. Dickinson led the bottom half off with a long single to left-center field, and was lifted for Reyes as a pinch-runner. Later, a one-out single from Paige Pieper (First Year; Middleton, ID) found the hole in the left side of the infield to put two on and force a pitching change. Kizbelth Ortiz (First Year; New Britain, CT) punched a line drive through the middle to bring Reyes home and tie the game. A strikeout threatened to end the rally early, but Mowery brought home Pieper for the go-ahead score on a bloop single to shallow center, pushing Ortiz to third. With runners on the corners, the Falcons executed a double-steal to let Ortiz score, giving Lackawanna a 5-3 advantage heading into the seventh.
 
Dinice was in trouble, with runners at second and third with just one away, but a swinging strikeout seemed to take the wind out of the sails for Henry Ford, and a ground out to short gave Lackawanna the victory.
 
Lackawanna has now won five straight, and has played eleven games on the year. At this time last year, the Falcons had only just started their season. Lackawanna College will continue its stay at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic on Wednesday, March 6^th, with more doubleheader action. The Falcons will take on Lincoln Trail College at 3:00pm ET, and then Patrick & Henry CC at 5:00pm ET.