3/8/24

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC -- Errors proved to be the sticky wicket for Lackawanna College softball on Friday morning, as the Falcons committed six total errors across two games in a pair of losses at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic in South Carolina. Lackawanna fell to Madison College, 6-1, in game one, and then dropped a tight 3-2 decision to Kankakee CC in game two.
 
The Falcons (8-7) struggled through most of the first game with Madison, but, despite some offensive struggles, they were still within striking distance at a 2-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. A walk, a single, and then a sac bunt put runners on second and third with just one out for the Falcons, but back-to-back strikeouts, two of 15 total punch-outs by Lackawanna, ended the potential scoring threat. In the top of the seventh, Madison made Lackawanna pay, using back-to-back one-out singles to put runners on the corners, and then taking advantage of two straight errors on the Falcons infield to score a run and get another baserunner. A two-out double, followed by an RBI single, drove in three more runs to extend its lead out to 6-1. Lackawanna got a one-out baserunner in the bottom of the seventh with a walk, and had that runner in scoring position, but the Falcons couldn't convert.
 
After Madison scored a run in the top of the first thanks to a passed ball and an RBI single, Lackawanna answered in the bottom of the second. A leadoff walk, followed by an error, put two on with nobody out. Paige Pieper (First Year; Middleton, ID) stole third, then came home on an RBI single from Aria Reyes (Sophomore; Allentown, PA). Another walk loaded the bases, still with nobody out, but the Wolves rallied thanks to three-straight swinging strikeouts, stranding the bases loaded. Madison then got the lead back in the next half inning thanks to a lead off walk, a fly out, and a ground out.
 
Lackawanna could only muster three hits, but did draw six walks. The Falcons stranded eight runners. Pieper represented the only run scored, while Reyes had the lone RBI. Mazzie Musgrave (First Year; Old Forge, PA) was the only other hit, beside Pieper and Reyes. Allyson Lemerise (Sophomore; Catonsville, MD) pitched well-enough, giving up six hits through seven innings and striking out five, but the four errors hurt, as did surrendering six walks. Five of the six runs scored by Madison were unearned. Lackawanna had 15 strikeouts as a team.
 
Game two was a little more competitive for the Falcons, who fell behind to the Cavaliers 2-0 before scoring two runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game, only to see Kankakee score an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead, and, ultimately, propel itself to the victory.
 
The Falcons had something cooking in the top of the second in a scoreless game, thanks to some two-out magic. Alexis Semanek (Sophomore; Wilkes-Barre, PA) and Jillian Heimberger (First Year; Unionville, PA) hit back-to-back two-out singles, and Semanek stole third to put runners on the corners, but a strikeout ended the potential scoring threat. They had runners at second and third in the top of the third, with two outs, but a pop-out to center ended another chance for the Falcons to score.
 
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers added a run in the bottom of the third, thanks to a pair of singles sandwiched around a sac bunt. With runners on the corners and one away, Kankakee traded a run for an out on a fielder's choice to take the lead, 1-0. They threatened for more with another single, but Reyes, getting the start, got the out with a groundout to third.
 
Kankakee added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth, using a leadoff double to get an immediate baserunner. Two straight pop ups got the Falcons nearly out of trouble, but a single to the outfield, where the Falcons had trouble with it, allowed that runner on second to come home and made it 2-0, Cavs.
 
The Falcons immediately responded in the top of the fifth. A pitching change for the Cavaliers gave Skylar Borthwick (Sophomore; Pittston, PA) a chance, as she singled with one out to center. Morgan McVicar (First Year; Blakely, PA) singled to right, and an error allowed her and Borthwick to advance to second and third, respectively, still with one out. A wild pitch scored Borthwick and put McVicar on third, and, after a walk, the Falcons scored the tying run on a sacrifice liner to left field from Pieper, making it 2-2.
 
But, that would be the last of any sort of offensive threat from the Falcons. Another pitching change from Kankakee proved to be the difference, as the Falcons were retired 1-2-3 in the sixth, setting up the Cavaliers to rally in the bottom frame. An error on Reyes allowed a one-out base runner. A pinch-runner substitution led to a stolen base, and then a passed ball put the go-ahead run on third, still with one out. A pop up behind second proved to be the second out, but was just deep enough for Kankakee to send the runner and take the lead, 3-2.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Falcons couldn't get anything going, retiring in order for the second straight inning and handing Kankakee the victory.
 
McVicar stayed hot, going 3-for-4 with a run scored, and Heimberger was 2-for-3 in the bottom of the lineup, but the Falcons struck out five times, only drew a pair of walks, and left seven on-base. Reyes got tagged with the loss, despite pitching well, giving up seven hits over six innings, striking out a pair, and surrendering three runs, just one earned. The Falcons committed two errors, and, of the combined nine runs they gave up over the two games, just two were earned runs.
 
After winning five in a row, the Falcons ended their stay in Myrtle on a sour note, dropping three of their final four. Lackawanna College will now take an extended break before getting back to work next weekend on Sunday, March 17^th, with a doubleheader on the road against Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, MD. First pitch is at 12:00pm ET.