3/21/25

SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College softball has another pair of doubleheader contests this weekend, starting with its Region XIX DII opener on Saturday and another home doubleheader on Sunday.
 
Saturday, March 22^nd, the Falcons will take on Mercer County CC in West Windsor Twp., NJ for the Region XIX DII opener for the Falcons. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12:00pm ET at Mercer County CC's softball field. There will be a video livestream available via the Mercer County CC Hudl Fan Page, linked HERE.
 
Then, on Sunday, March 23^rd, the Falcons will be back home for a non-region doubleheader with SUNY Corning CC at Scranton HS softball field. First pitch will be at 1:00pm ET against the D3 #5 Red Barons. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (8-10) have gone 4-2 in six games this week, sweeping past County College of Morris on Tuesday night, then splitting four games with Hudson Valley CC this past Wednesday and Thursday afternoon in Scranton. After the Vikings dominated Wednesday's doubleheader, the Falcons exacted some revenge on Thursday, winning a tight 1-0 contest in game one, then walking it off with a hit batter in the bottom half of the seventh of game two to take it 6-5 and complete the sweep. You can read the full recap from Thursday HERE.
 
The Falcons have struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .243 through their first 18 games. Lackawanna has scored 70 runs, averaging 3.9 per game on the year. The Falcons have 17 extra-base hits, including 12 doubles and four triples, and they have a .628 OPS. Lackawanna has drawn 53 walks and struck out 92 times. They have also stolen 23 bases.
 
Pitching-wise, the Falcons have been pretty good, posting a staff ERA of 5.54 through 18 games this year. In 115 innings, the Falcons have allowed 125 runs, 91 earned, on 157 hits, while striking out 66 and walking 69. Opponents are hitting .313 against the Falcons this season and have been hit by 14 pitches.
 
Defensively, the Falcons have 37 errors and a .927 fielding percentage. They've turned two double plays and caught six runners stealing this season.
 
Sophomore utility player Jillian Heimberger (Unionville, PA) is first on the team with 18 hits and is hitting .353 through 18 games. She has a .907 OPS and has scored a team-high 12 runs. Heimberger has eight RBIs, tied for first on the squad, and has two doubles and a triple this season. Heimberger has drawn eleven walks, second on the squad, but she has also struck out eleven times, tied for the team-high with two others. Heimberger has a .476 OBP, first on the team this season, and she has three stolen bases. She has three multi-hit games on the season, collecting two hits and two RBIs in a loss to nationally ranked Danville Area CC back on March 2^nd. Heimberger was a combined 5-for-11 in four games against Hudson Valley CC, scoring two runs, two RBIs, and hitting a triple. She has 20 putouts and 18 assists this season.
 
Sophomore outfielder Emmalee Mowery (Mechanicsburg, PA) is second on the team with 17 total hits and a .327 batting average this season. Mowery has a .855 OPS, second on the team, boosted by a .470 OBP, and she leads the Falcons in doubles (3), extra-base hits (3), and walks (13). She has four stolen bases this season. Mowery has six multi-hit games during the season, including the three games leading into the doubleheader at Potomac. She was 3-for-4 with a run scored, a double, and two RBIs in the win against Southern Maine CC. Mowery was a combined 2-for-11 in four games against Hudson Valley, but she scored three runs and drew three walks. She has 40 putouts and one assist in the outfield this season.
 
First-year corner infielder and catcher Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) is third on the team with 14 hits this season, and she has a .275 batting average through 17 games. Laniah has seven runs scored this year and has driven in six RBIs. She has the lone home run for the Falcons this season, hitting a three-run homer against Moris to tie game two and eventually help Lackawanna win. Laniah has drawn a walk and has been hit by two pitches this season. Laniah has four multi-hit games. Tasker was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the 8-3 loss to Kaskaskia on March 7^th. She was a combined 2-for-11 through four games against Hudson Valley CC, scoring a run and driving in another. She was a combined 3-for-8 with two runs and three RBIs, which included her three-run homer, in two games against Morris. She has 42 putouts and 14 assists this season, helping turn one of the two double plays for the Falcons this season.
 
First-year outfielder and pitcher Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) is fourth on the team with 13 total hits, hitting .271 so far this season. Scalese has appeared in 16 games this year and has nine runs and three RBIs. Scalese has drawn a walk, been hit by a pitch, and has stolen three bases this season. Scalese has three multi-hit games this season, with a standout 4-for-4 showing in game two on March 19^th against Hudson Valley CC. She was a combined 5-for-9 in three games against HVCC, scoring a pair of runs. Scalese has 13 putouts and nine assists on the year.
 
First-year second base player Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) has eleven total hits this season, posting a .282 batting average through 18 games. Tasker has scored six runs and has a double and six RBIs this season. She has nine walks and a team-high five stolen bases this season. Tasker also has a .725 OPS on the year. Tasker has four multi-hit games this season, but has been held without a hit in her last five games, going 0-for-9 in that span. She has scored a run and driven in another in that time, while drawing five walks. She has 32 putouts and 15 assists this season from second base.
 
First-year first base player Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) has eleven hits on the year, posting a .256 batting average through 18 games. Sokol has a .699 OPS and has five runs scored, while driving in seven runs. Sokol has six walks this season and has been hit by a pair of pitches. Sokol has one multi-hit game this season, going 2-for-3 in a 6-4 win against Morris on March 18^th. She was hitless in four games against Hudson Valley CC, scoring a run and driving in another. Sokol has 79 putouts and four assists this season.
 
Sophomore pitcher Brianna Dinice (Terryville, CT) has thrown the most innings for the Falcons this season, appearing in eight games and throwing 41.1 innings this season. Dinice is 3-4 with a 5.76 ERA on the year, starting in all but one of her appearances. Dinice has allowed 42 runs, 34 earned, on 50 hits, while striking out a team-best 25 batters and walking 32. Batters are hitting .282 against Dinice this season, and she has thrown a team-high 17 wild pitches. Dinice has thrown four complete games on the season. Her best game came in the first one, throwing seven innings, striking out five, and allowing just one unearned run in the win against Fayetteville Tech. Against Southern Maine, she went all seven innings and gave up four runs, three earned, to pick up the win. Dinice has struggled her last three appearances, giving up a combined 16 walks and 17 runs in 9.2 innings combined. She was given the loss against Potomac and Hudson Valley. Her last appearance was a two-inning relief appearance against Hudson Valley on Thursday, giving up five runs on six hits in a game the Falcons managed to win at 6-5.
 
Scalese has pitched in 30.2 innings this season, making eight appearances, five of which have been starts. Scalese is 2-4 with a 5.48 ERA. Scalese has given up 40 runs, only 24 earned, on 47 hits, striking out 21 and walking 15. Opposition is hitting .336 against Scalese this year, and she has hit seven batters with pitches this season. Mia has picked up a pair of wins in her last three appearances. She threw four innings of relief against Morris on March 18^th, giving up just an unearned run on four hits, while striking out six. She had a brief relief outing where she gave up three runs on one hit in just a third of an inning against Hudson Valley, then came back the next day and twirled a gem, striking out seven and allowing just three hits in a 1-0 complete game victory. Scalese has been excellent in her last three appearances, striking out 14 batters in 11.1 innings, and only giving up four runs.
 
Heimberger has pitched the third-most innings, throwing 29.2 so far this season. She is 3-1 in six appearances with a 3.30 ERA, making three starts. Heimberger has given up 22 runs, 14 earned, on 34 hits, with 12 strikeouts and eleven walks. Batters are hitting .281 against Heimberger so far this season. Jill has picked up a pair of wins in her last three appearances. She set her season-high in strikeouts with five after pitching all seven innings against Olney Central back on March 3^rd. She gave up nine runs, but only three were earned. She picked up a complete game win against Morris on March 18^th, giving up four runs on eleven hits in a 6-4 Lackawanna victory. She pitched three scoreless innings of relief against Hudson Valley CC on Thursday afternoon to pick up the win, giving up just one hit and striking out a batter.
 
The head coach for the Falcons is Jeff Pittsman, entering his 14^th season in charge of the Falcons. Pittsman has 272 wins in his career, the most in program history. He won a region championship in 2017, and he has helped the Falcons get to the Region XIX playoffs in eight straight seasons. Pittsman took over the program in 2012, having to piece together a roster from non-scholarship athletes and limited numbers. The team saw massive improvement in year two, winning 13 more games, and Pittsman steadily built the Falcons into a winner, winning 25 games by 2016. Lackawanna hasn't been below .500 since. Before coming to the Falcons, coach Pitt coached travel softball from 2006 to 2013 in Northeast PA, helming the Impact Panthers and Northeast Stars in his time. Before that, he was an assistant football coach with his alma mater, Mid Valley HS, from 1989 through 2001, and then Riverside HS from 2003 through 2004.
 
About Mercer County CC
The Vikings (12-0, 2-0) have not truly been tested this year, winning all but one of their games by four or more runs. They're averaging 9.6 runs per game and have scored over ten runs in seven games this year. The Vikings defeated the Lady Colts from SUNY Orange in their last outing on Thursday, March 20^th, sweeping Orange 9-2 and 10-0. The Vikings had 20 combined hits, including eight doubles, while holding Orange to just two runs and nine hits, while striking out eleven batters.
 
Mercer is hitting .353 as a team so far this season, with an impressive .958 OPS. The Vikings have 41 extra-base hits, which includes 26 doubles and nine homers. They've drawn 30 walks and struck out 38 times. They have stolen 20 bases on the year.
 
The Vikings have been stellar on the mound through 12 games, posting a 1.90 staff ERA. In 70 innings, Mercer has given up 28 runs, just 19 earned, on 61 hits, while striking out 48 batters and walking 20. Opponents are hitting .243 against the Vikings this season.
 
Mercer has been excellent on defense, committing just five errors and posting a .983 fielding percentage. They've turned three double plays and caught one runner stealing.
 
First-year player Stella Logan leads the team with 20 total hits in 12 games, hitting at a .513 clip. Logan has a 1.620 OPS, first on the team, leading the Vikings in both OBP (.543) and slugging (1.077). Logan has 18 runs, tied for first on the team, and has a team-best eleven extra-base knocks. She has five homers, also first on the team, and has driven in a team-best 24 RBIs. Logan has drawn five walks and has stolen one base this year. She has seven multi-hit games on the season, running off a streak of six in a row at one point. Logan has a seven-game hitting streak entering the weekend. She had a five RBI day against Frederick on March 15^th, going 2-for-4 with two runs and a homer in the 12-0 win against the Cougars. She was a combined 3-for-6 with two runs, two doubles, five RBIs, and a homer in two games against Orange. Logan has 15 putouts and 16 assists on defense this season.
 
Sophomore Kelci O'Dell is second on the team with 17 total hits and a .425 batting average through 12 contests. O'Dell has scored 17 runs, third on the team, and she has a 1.075 OPS this season, which includes a .500 OBP. O'Dell has two doubles and two triples, and she has driven in seven RBIs. O'Dell has six walks and is tied for the team-high with four stolen bases on the year. O'Dell has five multi-hit games on the year, with a 3-for-4 showing against Gloucester on March 8^th as a standout, where she had a triple, three RBIs, and two runs. She was a combined 4-for-5 with five runs, a double, and an RBI in the two games against Orange on Thursday. O'Dell has ten putouts and 21 assists this season, and she has taken part in three double plays, defensively.
 
Sophomore Emily Wyzkowski has 16 total hits this season and is a .444 hitter in 12 games. Wyzkowski has a 1.159 OPS, boosted by a .694 slugging percentage this season. She has scored eleven runs and has a team-high six doubles this year. Her 12 RBIs are second on the team this season. Wyzkowski has four walks on the year, and she has stolen one base. She has four multi-hit games on the season, which includes a 4-for-5 showing at Frederick on March 15^th, where she had three doubles and three RBIs in a 15-6 win. Wyzkowski was a combined 3-for-6 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored against Orange in two games on Thursday. She has 18 putouts and one assist on defense this season.
 
Sophomore Angelina Guida has 14 total hits and a .378 batting average through her 12 games this season. Guida has scored 18 runs, tied with Logan for first on the team, and she has three doubles, a triple, and a homer, driving in seven runs. Guida has a 1.027 OPS, and she has drawn two walks and stolen one base on the season. Guida has also been hit by three pitches this season. She has four multi-hit games this season, and has been excellent in her last four games, scoring a combined ten runs and driving in six more. Against Orange, she was 3-for-7 with five runs, a double, a triple, and two RBIs in two games. She has 77 putouts and 1 assist this season and has helped turn two double plays this year.
 
Pitching-wise, the staff is helmed by first-year hurler Jozalyn Sheipe-Warthen, who is 7-0 with a 1.52 ERA in eight appearances. Sheipe-Warthen has thrown 41.1 innings on the year, giving up 14 runs, nine earned, on 39 hits. She has struck out 31 batters and walked 12 this year. She has won six of her last seven appearances. Her season-best in strikeouts was nine, coming in an 11-3 win against Raritan valley CC back on March 11^th. She gave up three runs on two hits in five innings. She pitched both games against Orange on Thursday, getting both wins. She struck out a combined nine batters, which includes eight in game one, and gave up a combined nine hits and two runs in eleven total innings.
 
Sophomore Madison Jobes is second on the team with four appearances, going 3-0 with a 2.39 ERA. In 14.2 innings pitched, Jobes has surrendered five runs, all earned, on eleven hits, while striking out seven and walking two. Jobes set a season-high with five strikeouts against Raritan Valley on March 11^th, going five innings and giving up just one hit in the 13-0 win. She pitched one inning of relief against Orange in game two on Thursday, striking out a pair in what was a 10-0 win in five innings.
 
Sophomore Jessica Adams has made two appearances, going 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA. Adams, in 14 innings, has given up nine runs, five earned, on eleven hits, striking out ten and walking six. She struck out five in both of her two starts, winning games against Cecil and Gloucester. She has not pitched since March 8^th against Gloucester.
 
Ryan Zegarski is in his 21^st season as head coach at Mercer, and he enters the weekend with 612 career wins. In that time, he has had three squads win 40+ games. 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. Last year's squad was 42-9 and finished as Region XIX DII runners-up to Delaware Tech. They fell on the road at Louisburg College in district competition.
 
About SUNY Corning CC
The Red Barons (5-7) are the #5 ranked team in the latest NJCAA Division III rankings, and they will enter the weekend having gone 2-4 in their last six games. Corning was swept in doubleheader action against Hagerstown CC on the road, then split a doubleheader with Howard CC, falling 13-3 in game one and then winning 12-11 in game two. Corning rallied late against the Dragons in game two, after giving up five runs in the bottom of the sixth, by scoring four runs in the seventh to re-take the lead. The Red Barons were able to retire the Dragons in order in the bottom frame to secure the split.
 
The Barons are hitting .371 as a team this season, with a collective OPS at 1.088. Corning has scored 135 runs in 12 games, averaging 11.3 runs per game this year. The Barons have six games where they've scored ten or more runs this year. Corning has 13 doubles, nine homers, and 17 homers on the season for 39 extra-base hits. The Red Barons have drawn 63 walks and struck out 59 times, while stealing 30 bases on the year. Corning has also been hit by 15 pitches this year.
 
The pitching staff has a 10.15 ERA this year, giving up 120 runs, 102 earned, in 70.1 innings on 154 hits. They've struck out 26 batters and walked 37 this season. Opponents are hitting .433 against the Red Barons this year.
 
In the field, Corning has made 19 errors and has a .942 fielding percentage. The Red Barons have turned three double plays on the year.
 
First-year player Madison Coots leads the Barons with 21 hits and a .525 batting average through all 12 games this year. Coots has a 1.588 OPS, which includes a team-high 1.025 slugging percentage and a .563 OBP. Coots has scored 13 runs and has five homers, tied for first on the team. She has nine extra-base hits, most on the team, and her 19 RBIs are second for Corning this year. Coots has drawn six walks, but has struck out a team-high 12 times this season. She has two stolen bases on the year. Coots has seven multi-hit games this year, with her best coming against Genesee back on March 9^th, where she was 4-for-5 with two homers, four RBIs, and three runs scored in a 22-20 win for the Barons. They won their next game against Suffolk CC later that day, where she went 2-for-4 with two runs, another homer, and four more RBIs. Against Howard, she was a combined 2-for-7 with a run scored, a homer, and two RBIs. She has 17 putouts and 24 assists in the field this season, helping turn one double play.
 
First-year player Matti Foster has 18 total hits and a .450 batting average this season. Foster has a 1.127 OPS, leading the Barons with a .577 OBP. Foster has scored 21 runs, second on the team, and she has four doubles and ten RBIs. Her eight walks are tied for second on the squad, and she has a team-high seven stolen bases. Foster has also been hit by four pitches this year. Foster has four multi-hit games this season, with her best coming against Harford, where she was 4-for-5 with four runs scored, a double, and two RBIs in a 14-6 win on March 15^th. Foster had an eleven-game hitting streak snapped in the second game against Howard CC. She was a combined 1-for-6 with three runs, a double, and two RBIs in two games against the Dragons. She has 13 putouts on the year.
 
Sophomore Brianna Greenlaw has 17 total hits and is hitting at a .425 clip this season. She has a 1.404 OPS this season, boosted by a .875 slugging percentage. Greenlaw has scored a team-high 23 runs, and she is tied with Coots for the team-high with five home runs this season. She's got seven extra-base hits and 15 RBIs, and she has drawn seven walks and stolen four bases. She's also been hit by three pitches this season. Greenlaw has six multi-hit games, including four of her last six games. Greenlaw was 3-for-5 with six RBIs, two homers, and a triple in the 12-11 win against Howard on March 19^th. She was a combined 3-for-6 in the two games. Greenlaw has 13 putouts and 27 assists on the year, while helping turn one double play.
 
First-year catcher Raegan Sudnikovich has 17 total hits and a .415 batting average in 12 games this year. Sudnikovich has a 1.374 OPS, helped along by a .520 OBP and a .854 slugging percentage. Sudnikovich has scored 19 runs and has a team-best 23 RBIs. She's got eight extra-base hits, four of which are home runs, second on the team. Sudnikovich has eight walks, tied with Foster for first on the team, and she has three stolen bases on the year. She has six multi-hit games on the year, including three of her last six games. She was 3-for-6 with four runs, seven RBIs, and three homers in the 22-20 loss to Genesee on March 9^th. Sudnikovich was a combined 3-for-7 with a run scored, a double, and an RBI in two games against Howard on March 19^th. She has 16 putouts and three assists this season.
 
First-year pitcher Kailey Gardner has made six appearances, going 2-4 with an 8.52 ERA. In 35.1 innings pitched, she has given up 51 runs, 43 earned, on 76 hits, striking out 12 batters and walking eleven. Gardner set her season-high with five strikeouts in an 8-7 loss to Allegany College of Maryland, giving up eight runs on 12 hits in seven innings. Gardner won her last start, despite giving up eleven runs on 19 hits in seven innings, as the Red Barons rallied to win 12-11 against Howard on Wednesday.
 
First-year pitcher Mariana Jones has made six appearances, going 3-2 with a 10.50 ERA. In 30 innings, Jones has given up 53 runs, 45 earned, on 64 hits, striking out 13 batters and walking 20. Her last win came against Allegany, giving up four runs on eight hits in five innings of a 6-4 win, while striking out a season-high five. She has lost her last two starts, which includes the first game against Howard CC, giving up 13 runs on 13 hits in four innings of work on Wednesday.
 
The head coach for the Red Barons is longtime mentor Stacy Johnson, now in her 28^th year in charge of Corning. Through her tenure, Johnson has won Region III coach of the year ten times, and MSAC coach of the year 14 times. She has coached 45 NJCAA All-Americans and eleven region player of the year candidates. She's won eight region championships with the Red Barons. Johnson is an Ithaca College grad, where she earned a bachelor's degree in physical education, and she holds a master's degree in management from Keuka College. In her time at Corning, she is 711-259.
 
The Match-Up
Lackawanna is 4-8 against Mercer dating back to 2021. The Falcons went 0-3 against the Vikings last year, failing to score in two of the three contests. Their last win against Mercer came on April 8^th, 2023, when they won 10-9 to split a doubleheader on the road.
 
Against Corning, the Falcons are 2-1 since 2022. Lackawanna lost 6-2 to the Red Barons on March 19^th in 2022, then beat them 14-12 in the following contest. Lackawanna beat Corning at Patrick & Henry CC last year, 10-2, in five innings on February 24^th.
 
The doubleheader with Mercer is on Saturday, March 22^nd, in West Windsor Twp., NJ and is the Region XIX DII opener for the Falcons. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12:00pm ET at Mercer County CC's softball field. There will be a video livestream available via the Mercer County CC Hudl Fan Page, linked HERE.
 
Then, on Sunday, March 23^rd, the Falcons will host Corning CC for a doubleheader at Scranton HS softball field. First pitch will be at 1:00pm ET against the D3 #5 Red Barons. There will be a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
Lackawanna is on the road in its next set of games on Tuesday, March 25^th, when the Falcons travel to PSU Hazleton to take on the Nittany Lions. First pitch is at 2:00pm ET in Hazleton, PA.