3/22/25
 
WEST WINDSOR TWP., NJ – Lackawanna College softball showed much more fight in game two, but it was still one-way traffic on Saturday afternoon for Mercer County CC, as the home squad Vikings swept a pair of Region XIX DII contests from the Falcons in New Jersey, winning game one by an 18-1 margin in five innings, and then taking game two 8-5.
 
The Falcons (8-12, 0-2) just couldn't get out of the starting blocks in game one, as the unbeaten Vikings (14-0, 4-0) jumped on starter Brianna Dinice (Terryville, CT) in the second inning. Dinice could go 1.1 innings, giving up seven runs on four hits, walking six and throwing three wild pitches. It wasn't anything Dinice could or couldn't do, however, as relief pitchers Jillian Heimberger (Unionville, PA) and Abigail Yenalevitch (Kingston, PA) were both hit hard, giving up six and four runs, respectively. Heimberger did her best at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) was 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI. Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) was 2-for-2 for the Falcons.
 
After the disastrous second where the Vikings posted nine runs, the Falcons got one back when Heimberger doubled with one out, and she scored on a single by Scalese. The Falcons were hoping for more, but a double play ground out, one of three in game one, ended the inning early. Mercer hit four straight singles to score three runs and chase Heimberger in the fourth, and it was pretty much over from there.
 
In game two, Lackawanna fell behind initially, but the Falcons were able to keep things relatively close and give themselves at least a chance late, loading the bases in the seventh inning and bringing the tying run to the plate with two outs. Emmalee Mowery (Mechanicsburg, PA) was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Yenalevitch was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Starter Scalese gave up eight runs on 13 hits in six innings, striking out four and walking four.
 
The Falcons scored first in the top of the first inning, as Mowery led the game of with a single and Heimberger drew a walk to put two on. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Mowery scored on a fielder's choice by Scalese that made it 1-0 after the top of the first.
 
Mercer scored four in the bottom frame, getting a sac fly, then two singles and a ground out to make it 4-1, Vikings. They added two more in the third on back-to-back doubles and a single, but Lackawanna had an answer in the top of the fourth. Kaislyn Currie (Gibbons, AB) singled with one out, then came home to score on a double from Yenalevitch. With Yenalevitch on third, Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) picked up an RBI on a ground out to cut it to 6-3. Lackawanna tried to keep the inning going with two more base runners, but a ground out ended the potential comeback early.
 
Mercer put up two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-3, and the Falcons stranded the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, failing to cash in on an important chance.
 
Scalese pitched around a double in the bottom of the fifth, and the Falcons got a pair of singles and then scored on a third single with two outs from Laniah Tasker, cutting the deficit to 8-4 heading to the bottom of the sixth.
 
Scalese loaded the bases with nobody out, but got back-to-back strikeouts and a fly out to get out of trouble. In the top of the seventh, Lackawanna loaded the bases with one out and got a sac fly to right to score a run. With the tying run at the plate, the Falcons stranded baserunners one more time with a ground out to end the game. Lackawanna left 12 runners on base in game two.
 
It's a quick turnaround for Lackawanna, as the Falcons will host SUNY Corning CC on Sunday, March 23^rd, in doubleheader action at Scranton HS softball field. First pitch is set for 1:00pm ET.