3/18/25
 
RANDOLPH, NJ – Late inning heroics in both games helped Lackawanna College softball pull off the doubleheader sweep at County College of Morris on Tuesday afternoon in non-region action. The Falcons won game one, 6-4, before taking game two, 8-7, in extra innings.
 
The Falcons (6-8) were tied up at 4-4 entering the top of the seventh inning in game one, when Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) got things started with a single to left. She was lifted for a pinch runner, Kaislyn Currie (Gibbons, AB), who scored when Paige Pieper (Middleton, ID) hammered a double to right field, putting the Falcons in front at 5-4. Later, with two outs and Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) on first, an error at first allowed the inning to continue, now with two aboard. A single loaded the bases, and Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) delivered a hard single to short to drive in Scalese and give the Falcons a 6-4 advantage heading into the bottom frame.
 
The Titans (0-2) got a two-out single to get a runner aboard, but a fielder's choice at second base ended the game and gave starter Jillian Heimberger (Unionville, PA) the win. She scattered eleven hits and four runs, all earned, over seven innings, striking out three batters for her second win of the year. Tasker finished with two hits and two RBIs, Heimberger added a pair of hits, and Sokol put up two hits of her own. Scalese scored two runs, Kizbelth Ortiz (New Britain, CT) scored a pair and drove in another, and the Falcons drew five walks in the game one win.
 
They led early, scoring three runs in the second thanks to an Ortiz RBI single to center field, an error by the catcher, and then a wild pitch. Morris got two back in the bottom of the third, stringing together three straight singles to score a pair of runs. The Titans threatened for more, but the Falcons and Heimberger stranded a pair of runners with a strikeout, followed by a line out to second.
 
Morris later tied the game at 3-3 I the fourth inning, getting a two-out single to center. Once again, Heimberger stepped up, getting a line out to first base to strand the bases loaded and get out of a potential crooked inning.
 
The Falcons re-took the lead in the top of the sixth on a Tasker sac fly to center, but the Titans got it back to even with a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded, Heimberger once again got the third out, this time thanks to a ground out to short, which set the stage for the seventh inning heroics.
 
In game two, it looked like Morris might earn a split, leading 6-3 heading into the fifth inning. Emmalee Mowery (Mechanicsburg, PA) drew a lead off walk and stole second to get the Falcons an immediate base runner in scoring position. A sac bunt pushed Mowery to third base with one away. Heimberger drew a walk, then stole second to put runners in scoring position. A pop up to the pitcher put two away and put the inning in danger, but catcher Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) stepped in and smashed a three-run homer to left, the first home run of the season for the Falcons, which tied the game at 6-6.
 
Scalese came on in relief of starter Abigail Yenalevitch (Kingston, PA), and was immediately effective, retiring the side in order. Morris had her in trouble briefly in the bottom of the sixth, with a lead off double, but she pitched around that and got a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Morris once again had Scalese working, this time in the bottom of the seventh. After the Falcons went three-and-out, a one-out hit batter gave the Titans a lifeline. A single, followed by a passed ball, put runners on second and third with just one away. Scalese reached back and won a tough battle for a swinging strikeout to get the second out, then got a fly out to center to end the inning and send the game to extras.
 
With Heimberger placed at second in the eighth, Sokol immediately brought her home on a single to left center field, putting the Falcons in front at 7-6. Later, with one out, Ortiz singled to center to score Sokol and make it 8-6, Falcons. Lackawanna had a two-out single to put two on, but a line out to right-center field by Lindsey Tasker was the final out and sent the Titans into the bottom half.
 
With a courtesy runner on second, Morris got a pair of one-out singles to score a run and put runners on the corners. Scalese got a strikeout looking for the second out of the inning, then forced a pop up on the infield, securing the ball herself to seal the win and the sweep for Lackawanna.
 
Scalese pitched four innings of relief for the win, her first of the season, giving up just one run, unearned, on four hits and striking out six. Laniah Tasker had two hits and three RBIs, while Yenalevitch had a two-run single in the first inning, which had initially helped the Falcons jump out to a 3-0 lead after one. Mowery scored a pair of runs and drew two walks, while Heimberger scored three runs.
 
Lackawanna College will now open its home slate for the 2025 season with a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 19^th, as the Falcons welcome the Vikings from Hudson Valley CC for the first two of four games in the next two days in Scranton. First pitch of the day one doubleheader is set for 3:30pm ET at the Scranton HS softball field.