5/2/24
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – After a few days off, Lackawanna College softball is ready for its biggest test of the year, as the Falcons ready themselves for the Region XIX DII Softball Tournament, set to commence this Friday, May 3^rd, at Mercer County CC in West Windsor Twp., NJ.
 
The Falcons will enter the tournament as the third-seed, which means they will face off against second-seeded Delaware Tech CC, a team the Falcons split a doubleheader with earlier this season. The other match-up will pit the hosts and top-seeded Mercer County CC Vikings against the fourth-seeded Salem CC Mighty Oaks.
 
The double-elimination tournament starts on Friday at 10:00am, with Mercer and Salem. The Lackawanna-Del Tech clash will follow at 12:00pm. Then, the two winners will play each other in a winner's bracket final, while the two losers from the first two games will play at 4:00pm in an elimination game.
 
On Saturday, May 4^th, the two teams remaining with one loss will play in an elimination game at 10:00am, then the winner of that game will play the remaining unbeaten team in the Region XIX DII Championship game at 12:00pm. The remaining team with one loss would have to win at noon, and then a winner-take-all game at 2:00pm, to become champion. Both teams that make the championship game would qualify for the District tournament, happening next weekend at a site in Region 10.
 
All the games this weekend at the Region XIX DII tournament will be livestreamed for free via the Region 19 Sports Network. Lackawanna College will handle the production of the livestream. Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the play-by-play on Friday, and Voice of the Falcons Mike Rickert and Assistant Athletic Director Josh Pardini will broadcast day two on Saturday.
 
About the Falcons
Lackawanna heads into the tournament with a 35-17 overall record, and went 9-3 in conference play. The Falcons earned the #3 seed thanks to winning seven straight Region games to close out the slate, including a spilt with Delaware Tech, and sweeps over Morris, Raritan Valley, and Salem CC. Lackawanna played 52 games this season, second-most in all of Region XIX, and scored 414 runs, averaging out to 7.9 runs per contest, putting the Falcons around fourth in all of Region XIX in scoring. Lackawanna compiled 113 doubles and 30 triples this year, while also hitting 19 homeruns. They also had 82 stolen bases on the season, among the leaders in Region XIX.
 
Pitching-wise, the Falcons were solid, with a combined ERA of 4.05 this season. Only Gloucester has more combined innings pitched than Lackawanna this year, and the Falcons are second in all of the Region with 226 strikeouts, but the Falcons also lead the conference in walks (120) and homeruns surrendered (27).
 
The Falcons, after defeating Salem CC in the play-in series, fell in two games in the tournament last year, dropping the first round game to Delaware Tech, then blowing a late 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth to Morris in what ended as a 6-5 loss. The year before, the Falcons lost two close games to Mercer and Delaware Tech, and in 2021, the Falcons fell to Del Tech in a pair of games. Lackawanna last won the Region XIX championship in 2017.  
 
Sophomore shortstop Madison Maloney (Scranton, PA) was second-team all-conference last year, and is having a stellar season for Lackawanna this year, putting up a .434 batting average to lead the team. Maloney leads the Falcons in OPS (1.155), runs (60), hits (72), doubles (20), extra-base hits (27), walks (26), and stolen bases (19). Maloney is tied for the team-lead with six triples this year, and has 42 RBI, second on the Falcons. Maloney has gotten a hit in 17 of her last 18 games, and enters the tournament on a ten-game hitting streak. She has 22 multi-hit games on the year. Maloney's best day came in a doubleheader against Raritan, where she was a combined 7-for-10 with six doubles and ten RBI in two games. Against Delaware Tech this year, Maloney went a combined 2-for-8 with three runs scored, a triple, and a run driven in. Against Mercer, Maloney was 2-for-6 in two games with a run driven in, while she went 1-for-7 in two games against Salem, scoring a run and driving in three RBI.
 
Sophomore third base player Allyson Lemerise (Catonsville, MD) is hitting .409 this year, second on the team behind Maloney. Lemerise, also a second-team all-region selection a year ago, has a team-best 1.147 OPS, and leads the Falcons with 50 RBI this year. Lemerise has 13 doubles, three triples, and is second on the team with five homeruns. Lemerise has scored 41 runs and has 54 hits, third on the team. She has 15 walks and is second on the team with 13 stolen bases. Ally has 16 multi-hit games this season, and has raised her overall average nearly 200 points from where it was last season. She had a four-game stretch recently where she was a combined 9-for-12 with ten RBI, three doubles, and two homeruns. Lemerise was a combined 3-for-5 with a run scored, a triple, and three RBI in the split with Delaware Tech. She was hitless against Mercer in two games, and was 1-for-8 in the doubleheader sweep over Salem CC this season.
 
First Year player Morgan McVicar (Blakely, PA) leads the Falcons with six homeruns this year and is fourth on the team with a .377 batting average. McVicar is second on the Falcons in runs (45), hits (57), doubles (14), and extra base knocks (25). She's also second in walks (16) and is third on the team with five triples this year. McVicar has a 1.089 OPS, third on the team, and plays multiple positions in the field. McVicar has 15 multi-hit games on the year, and has hit five homeruns since April 16^th, after only having one homer through the previous month-and-a-half of the season. McVicar was 2-for-6 with a triple, four RBI, and a run scored in the doubleheader split with Delaware Tech earlier this season. She was hitless in two games against Mercer, but went 4-for-7 with a homer and two RBI in the sweep over Salem CC.
 
In the circle, Lemerise leads the team with a 2.95 ERA and an 8-5 record this year. In her 15 appearances, all starts, Ally has pitched 83 innings, second on the team, giving up 56 runs, 35 earned, on 92 hits. Lemerise leads the Falcons with 76 strikeouts, and opponents are hitting .271 against her this season. Ally, who threw a no-hitter last season, has thrown two shut-outs this year, with her best coming against Sussex. Against the Skylanders, Lemerise struck out a career-high 12 batters in a six-inning shutout, which the Falcons won 8-0. She did make an appearance against Delaware Tech earlier this season, giving up eight runs in six innings in an 8-0 loss to Del Tech. Lemerise hasn't pitched a full game since April 20^th, in-and-out of the lineup with injury, but did pitch two scoreless innings against Potomac State with four strikeouts this past Sunday.
 
Sophomore Alivia Graber (North Syracuse, NY) is the other main pitcher for the Falcons this year, posting a 3.84 ERA and an 8-4 record this season. Graber has made a team-high 20 appearances, 16 starts, and has thrown three shut-outs. In a team-best 89 1/3 innings, Graber has given up 56 runs, 49 earned, on 104 hits. She has struck out 50 batters, third on the team, and opponents are hitting .287 this year against her. Graber had a seven-inning shut-out earlier this year, giving up just four hits in a win against Glen Oaks CC, and she had a season-best eight strikeouts in a narrow loss to Brookdale CC back on April 23^rd. Graber earned the win against Delaware Tech this year, giving up seven runs on 12 hits and striking out four in a 12-7 win for Lackawanna.
 
Lackawanna can also go to either sophomore Aria Reyes (Allentown, PA) or first year player Brianna Dinice (Terryville, CT) in the circle as a third option. Reyes has a 4.50 ERA and is 8-5 this season in 16 appearances. Reyes has giving up 58 runs, 48 earned, on 115 hits in 74 2/3 innings pitched, striking out 38 and walking 23 this year. Reyes has had some excellent relief appearances as of late, pitching 5 2/3 innings in emergency relief for the Falcons, giving up two runs on seven hits in a victory for Lackawanna. She also pitched five innings of relief in a loss to Brookdale, where she gave up three runs on five hits and struck out a season-best eight batters, while also hitting a three-run homerun. Dinice has made 16 appearances, and is 9-1 with a 4.09 ERA this year. Through 49 2/3 innings pitched, Dinice has allowed 38 runs, 29 earned, on 57 hits, striking out 52 batters, second on the team. Dinice has surrendered 28 walks, but is holding opponents to a .278 batting average. Her best game came against Hudson Valley CC, striking out seven and throwing a three-hit shut-out in six innings.
 
The Falcons are led by head coach Jeff Pittsman, now in his 13^th season. Coach Pitt has 267 career victories at Lackawanna, the most all-time. This year's squad has 35 wins, the most Pittsman has seen a team win under his tutelage, and the Falcons have now crossed 30+ wins three times under Pittsman. Lackawanna is one win away from equaling the most wins, all-time, in one season at Lackawanna, set in 2001 by the Lackawanna squad that went 36-8 and made the NJCAA Softball National Tournament.
 
About Delaware Tech
Delaware Tech comes in at 24-8 overall this season, with a 10-2 record in region. Del Tech's only two losses in conference this year came to Lackawanna and Mercer County CC. After a shaky start to the season, Delaware Tech has really rounded into shape, winning 14 of 16 games through the month of April. Their only two losses came to Lackawanna College and Monroe College. Delaware Tech has won the last three Region XIX championships, but did so as the host school and top-seed in all three years.
 
Del Tech has a .390 batting average, collectively, this season, scoring 288 runs in 32 games, averaging nine runs per contest, near the top of all of Region XIX. The side from Georgetown, DE, has 68 doubles, 19 triples, and 28 homeruns this year, and Del Tech has 85 walks to 102 strikeouts on the year.
 
In the circle, Delaware Tech has a stellar 2.59 team ERA this year. Del Tech has given up 104 runs, 72 earned, on 214 hits in 194 1/3 innings pitched this season. Del Tech's pitchers have struck out 142 batters, while walking 50.
 
First Year infielder Zoey Coco is a .414 hitter this season, with a team-best 46 runs in 32 games. Coco has 48 hits, second on the team, and has ten extra-base hits and 18 RBI. Coco has seven doubles, three triples, and one homer. She leads the team with 15 stolen bases this year. Coco has 16 multi-hit games on the year. She was a combined 5-for-9 with three runs scored, a double, a triple, and a run driven in, in the doubleheader with Lackawanna. She comes into the tournament having gone 4-for-8 in her last two games, scoring five runs in a pair of wins over Sussex County CC.
 
First year player Brooklyn Richardson is a .491 hitter, tops on the squad this season. Richardson leads Del Tech in hits (52), doubles (17), triples (6), and extra-base hits (26). She has 39 runs scored, second on the team, and three homers for 38 RBI, also second on the squad. Richardson has 17 games with multiple hits on the year, and was a combined 2-for-6 with two runs scored and a double, with four RBI, in two games against the Falcons back in April. Richardson was a combined 4-for-7 with three runs scored, a double, and three RBI in the doubleheader victory over Sussex County CC.
 
Makenzie Whaley is a first year outfielder hitting .404 this season. Whaley is the muscle for Del Tech, hitting a team-best 12 homeruns and driving in a team-best 48 RBI. Whaley has 38 runs scored, and 42 hits on the year. She has 23 extra-base knocks, second on the team, putting up six doubles and five triples. She also has nine stolen bases this year, and leads Del Tech with a .904 slugging percentage. Whaley has 13 multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 4-for-8 with two runs scored, a triple, a homerun, and three RBI in the two games against the Falcons. Whaley is a combined 7-for-her-last-12, scoring five runs, hitting two homeruns, and driving in nine RBI.
 
On the bump, first year Kameron Sockriter has 19 appearances, going 10-2 and putting up a stellar 1.78 ERA. In 74 2/3 innings, Sockriter has given up 30 runs, just 19 earned, on 73 hits, striking out 58 and walking just 17. Sockriter's best outing came against Raritan, giving up just one hit and striking out a season-high eight batters in an 11-0 shut-out win. Against Lackawanna, Sockriter came on in relief, giving up five runs on seven hits in just 2 2/3 innings of a 12-7 loss for Delaware Tech. Sockriter has picked up the win in four of her last five appearances, striking out 20 batters. Her best was a two-hitter against Sussex, giving up an unearned run in a 9-1 victory in five innings last weekend.
 
Sophomore pitcher Kinley Elliott has made 17 appearances, going 11-3 with a 2.59 ERA on the year. In 83 2/3 innings pitched, Elliott has given up 38 runs, 31 earned, on 91 hits, with a team-best 69 strikeouts and 22 walks this season. Elliott had a season-best eight strikeouts at Morris on April 6^th, giving up three runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 10-3 win. She was stellar against Lackawanna in game one of the doubleheader, throwing a six-hit shut-out in seven innings to help Del Tech to an 8-0 game one win. She won her last start, giving up a run on four hits in five innings of an 11-1 win over Sussex last weekend.
 
Guy Wilkins is the man in charge at Del Tech, now in his tenth season at the helm. Wilkins has built Del Tech into a regional powerhouse, with DTCC consistently challenging for Region XIX supremacy. Wilkins spent a decade with the Delaware Diamonds travel softball team, prior to coming to Del Tech, winning a pair of national titles and coaching in national tournaments. Wilkins is a Delaware State University grad, playing baseball there, and had been a coach with the Sussex Central HS baseball program for 20 years. He was also an assistant coach for Del Tech baseball for six seasons.
 
About Salem CC
The Mighty Oaks have made a 14-game turnaround in their second year back in varsity action, improving from their 16-18 finish last year to a 30-12 regular season this year. Salem went 6-6 in Region XIX play, going undefeated through its first six games, before dropping doubleheaders to each of the other three tournament participants (Lackawanna, Delaware Tech, and Mercer County CC) this past season.
 
Salem as a team is hitting .403 this year, scoring 354 runs so far this season, an 8.4 runs per game average. Salem has hit 111 extra-base hits this year, with 70 doubles and 29 homers. The Mighty Oaks are aggressive on the base paths, stealing 83 bags on the year.
 
In the circle, Salem has a team ERA at 3.49 this year. In 214 2/3 innings, the Oaks have given up 146 runs, 107 earned, on 244 hits this year. Salem has struck out 202 batters this year.
 
First year infielder Ella Hayes leads the squad with a sky-high .590 batting average, putting up team-highs in hits (69), doubles (18), homers (9), extra-base hits (29), RBI (60), OBP (.637), slugging (1.009), and OPS (1.646). Hayes has two triples, eleven walks, and eleven stolen bases this year, and has scored 55 runs, second on the team. Hayes has 20 multi-hit games coming into the weekend, and had two doubles and five RBI in a 13-0 win over Bergen last weekend. Hayes was hitless in three at-bats against Mercer in two games, 10-0 and 8-0 losses.
 
Sophomore outfielder and pitcher Karyn Trice is second on the team with a .491 batting average, scoring a team-best 57 runs this season. Trice has 57 hits, second on the team, and has four doubles, four triples, and a homer for 18 RBI. Trice has drawn a team-best 32 walks, and has stolen 20 bases on the year. Her 1.225 OPS is second on the team. She has 15 multi-hit games this season, and was 1-for-2 with three runs scored, walking three times, in a 13-0 win over Bergen last weekend. Trice was hitless in three at-bats in two games against Mercer this year, walking twice and striking out a pair of times.
 
Courtney Hoggard is a first year catcher and corner infielder for the Mighty Oaks, compiling a .439 batting average this year, third on the team. Hoggard has 50 total hits, third on the team, and 16 doubles, second on the squad. She has 30 runs scored, three homers, and 48 RBI, second on the team. Her .675 slugging percentage is second on the team this season. Hoggard had 16 multi-hit games through the regular season, and was 1-for-1 with two RBI and a run scored in the win against Bergen last weekend. Hoggard was 0-for-4 in her two games against Mercer this season.
 
Vaye Savage is a sophomore catcher with 41 RBI and seven homeruns, second on the team this year. She also has nine doubles and a .376 batting average in 40 games. Savage has 41 hits and 29 runs scored, and has a .670 slugging percentage this year. Savage has ten multi-hit games this year, but has been held without a hit in her last five games, where she has had limited at-bats. Savage was 0-for-3 in her two games against Mercer, walking once and striking out twice.
 
In the circle, sophomore hurler Morgan Mecham is one of the two main cogs for the Oaks. Mecham has made 21 appearances and has a 1.94 ERA, giving up 46 runs, 27 earned, in 97 1/3 innings pitched. She has allowed 99 hits, but has struck out 124 batters, averaging just under nine strikeouts per seven innings. Mecham has 16 wins on the year, and struck out her season-high of ten batters against Sussex County CC, giving up five hits and one run in seven innings of a 7-1 win. Mecham did not appear against Mercer County CC in the doubleheader, and she has 13 games where she had six strikeouts or more.
 
The other player the Oaks rely on is sophomore pitcher Caitlin LaGreca, who has pitched in 92 2/3 innings this season, and made 21 appearances. LaGreca has a 4.83 ERA, surrendering 81 runs, 64 earned, on 116 hits. She has struck out 59 batters, but also walked 49. LaGreca is 11-8 on the season. Twice this year, LaGreca has struck out her season-high of six batters, and she got the win in her last outing with statistics, allowing just two hits in five innings and striking out three in an 8-0 win over Camden County. She was handed the loss against Mercer in game two against the Vikings, giving up eight runs on eight hits, with four homeruns from the Vikings.
 
Angel Rodriguez is the head coach at Salem, now in his second full varsity season. The program had been dormant since 2014, before being revived for the 2023 campaign, where Rodriguez helped guide the Mighty Oaks to a 16-18 overall record and an appearance in the play-in series against Lackawanna College in the Region XIX DII playoffs. Salem raced out to a 24-6 record to start this season, going 6-0 through its first six games of the region playoffs, and has 30 wins this year, a +14 win turnaround.
 
Mercer County CC
The Vikings have been outstanding this year, compiling a 39-5 overall record and riding a 25-game winning streak entering the weekend. The last loss for the Vikings, a 10-8 loss to Delaware Tech, came on March 30^th, 33 days and 25 games ago. The numbers have been staggering, as the Vikings have scored 10.9 runs per game, while pitching 20 shut-outs. Mercer has allowed just three runs in its last eight games, while outscoring its opposition by a 95-3 margin in that span. The Vikings have scored 478 total runs, and have 507 hits as a team. They have 88 doubles and 36 homeruns, for 145 total extra-base hits. The Vikings have drawn 214 walks to 114 strike outs, and are hitting, collectively, at .420 on the year, with a team OPS at 1.120.
 
Mercer has been equally as impressive in the circle, with a team ERA hovering at 1.60 on the year. The Vikings have three pitchers with 60-or-more strikeouts, each with a WHIP at or below 1.20. The Vikings have struck out the opposition 298 times, and have given up just 76 walks, with opponents scoring 95 runs, 60 earned, on 197 hits this year. Mercer has only given up two homeruns all year.
 
The Vikings fell in the Region XIX tournament championship game last year to Delaware Tech, cutting short their 40-win campaign. Mercer last won the Region XIX championship in 2018, when the Vikings went 37-8-1 and won the district championship on their way to the NJCAA DII national tournament.
 
First Year infielder Kelci O'Dell is the straw that stirs the drink, posting a sky-high .552 batting average to lead the team this season. O'Dell has a 1.332 OPS, with her team-high .598 on-base percentage really leading the way. O'Dell leads the Vikings in runs (61), hits (85), and RBI (59), while hitting 16 doubles and four homers. She has 21 walks and just six strikeouts this year. She has 31 games with two or more hits this year, and has a streak of six straight games with multiple hits entering the weekend. O'Dell also had a 22-game hitting streak already this season. O'Dell was a combined 5-for-7 with four runs scored, two doubles, and a run driven in in her two games against CCBC Catonsville last weekend. She was a combined 4-for-5 with a run scored, a double, and three RBI in the doubleheader sweep against Salem earlier this season.
 
Emily Wyzkowski is a first year outfielder with a .480 batting average this season. Wyzkowski has a .776 slugging percentage, second on the team, and is tied for the team lead with 18 doubles this year. She's second on the team in hits (60) and third in runs scored (46). She's fourth in homers (5) and has 42 RBI this year. Wyzkowski has drawn 13 walks this year. She has 20 multi-hit games on the year, and was a combined 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a run driven in against CCBC Catonsville in a pair of games last weekend. Wyzkowski was 1-for-3 with three runs scored and a solo homerun in two games against Salem earlier this season.
 
Maya Patel is part of the power center for Mercer, as the sophomore first base player has six homers, third on the team, and 18 doubles, tied with Wyzkowski for the team-lead. Patel is hitting .525 on the year, with a team-best 1.501 OPS, boosted by her .909 slugging percentage. Patel has 52 total hits, third on the team, and has scored 44 runs. Her 25 extra-base knocks are first on the squad, and she has 49 RBI, third on the squad. Patel has 18 walks to just one strikeout this year in 32 games and 99 at-bats. Patel was out of the lineup earlier this season before really coming on at the midway point, and has 16 multi-hit games to her credit this year. She was 1-for-7 in two games against Catonsville, with that one being a grand slam homerun. Patel was a combined 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a double, a homer, and two RBI in the wins over Salem CC. She had a two-homer game this year, a 9-7 win against Lackawanna College.
 
Sophomore infielder Cierra Acevedo is hitting .329 this year, and is second on the squad with 53 RBI. Her 55 runs are second on the team, and she has a team-best five triples. She also has seven homeruns, second on the squad. Acevedo is tied for the team-lead with 27 walks this season, and has 46 total hits, tied for fourth on the Vikings. Acevedo has 12 multi-hit games this season, and was scorching hot last weekend, going 5-for-7 with five runs, five RBI, and a pair of triples in the doubleheader sweep over Catonsville. She was a combined 2-for-6 with three runs, a homer, and two RBI in the sweep over Salem CC nearly two weeks ago.
 
The Vikings have three pitchers they can rely on, with Izzy Bonacci and Shea Krebs as the two standouts. Bonacci is a first year player, with a 1.70 ERA in 103 innings pitched. She has 18 appearances, and is 14-3, giving up 44 runs, 25 earned, on 79 hits. Bonacci has struck out 137 batters, tops on the team, averaging just over nine strikeouts per seven innings. Bonacci has gone over double-digits in strikeouts seven times, with her season-best coming against Cumberland, where she struck out 12 in an 11-6 win. Bonacci has three outings where she's gone more than four innings and allowed just one hit, including a 10-0 win over Salem, where she struck out ten in five innings. In her last outing, Bonacci struck out eight and gave up just one hit, helping the Vikings to a 7-0 win over CCBC Catonsville in seven innings.
 
Shea Krebs is a sophomore pitcher and is 16-1 on the year, with a 1.54 ERA in 22 appearances. Krebs has pitched 104 1/3 innings, giving up 31 runs, 23 earned, on 76 hits, while striking out 94 and walking 22. Krebs has nine shut-outs this year, including a perfect game, throwing that one against Lackawanna College back on April 6^th, striking out eight in an 8-0 victory in six innings. Krebs has not given up a run in her last three outings, all wins, and held Catonsville to just two hits in an 8-0 win in five innings last weekend. She also held Salem to just one hit in an 8-0 win back on April 23^rd.
 
Ryan Zegarski is in his 20^th season as head coach at Mercer, and comes into the tournament with 597 career wins. In that time, he has had two squads win 40+ games, and this year's team could potentially be the third. Zegarski has guided the Vikings to three appearances in the NJCAA DII national tournament, with the last appearance coming in 2018. Zegarski is a three-time Region XIX Coach of the Year, and is a Mercer alum, having played for the baseball team that made the NJCAA World Series in 2000. Zegarski played at Richard Stockton University after Mercer, where he led the NJAC in batting average as a junior, and eventually earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology.
 
The Tournament Weekend
Things get started on Friday, May 3^rd, at Mercer County CC in West Windsor Twp., NJ, with top-seed Mercer getting going against four-seed Salem at 10:00am ET. Game two will pit two-seed Delaware Tech and three-seed Lackawanna at 12:00pm ET. The next game will be the winner's bracket game, where the two winning teams will play at 2:00pm ET. Then, at 4:00pm ET, the elimination game between the losing squads from games one and two will happen, with the winner moving on and the loser going home.
 
On Saturday, May 4^th, the two teams with one-loss will play in an elimination game at 10:00am ET, with the winner advancing to the championship round against the remaining unbeaten team at 12:00pm ET. A potential winner-take-all second game will happen at 2:00pm ET, if both teams have one loss after the noon contest. The winner will be the Region 19 champion, but both teams will advance to the Atlantic A and B District Championships, at a Region 10 site.
 
All the games this weekend at the Region XIX DII tournament will be livestreamed for free via the Region 19 Sports Network. Lackawanna College will handle the production of the livestream. Sports Information Director Tom Ferguson will handle the play-by-play on Friday, and Voice of the Falcons Mike Rickert and Assistant Athletic Director Josh Pardini will broadcast day two on Saturday.