4/1/25
 
PENNSVILLE, NJ – Two excellent starts from Brianna Dinice and Mia Scalese helped keep Lackawanna College softball in contention, and the offense came up with big hits in big moments to help the Falcons sweep past Salem CC, 6-5 and 5-2, in Region XIX DII doubleheader action at Salem CC on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Falcons (17-15, 4-2) came in knowing they needed a strong performance against a potential playoff foe, and the team delivered, especially in the pitching circle.
 
Scalese (Moscow, PA) let up five runs on six hits in seven innings, striking out six and getting around seven walks and four hit batters, and she came up big for the Falcons in the bottom of the seventh, retiring the side in order after the Falcons had taken the lead back in the top frame, thanks to a Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) two-run single.
 
Jillian Heimberger (Unionville, PA) was 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Emmalee Mowery (Mechanicsburg, PA) was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs, hitting an inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning that tied the game.
 
After Scalese stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning, the Falcons struck for three runs in the bottom frame. With two on and two out, Lindsey Tasker singled up the middle to give Lackawanna the first run of the day. Mowery followed with a double to right field that scored another pair of runs and staked the Falcons to a 3-0 lead after 1.5 innings.
 
In the bottom half, the Mighty Oaks (10-10, 4-4) had runners at first and second with two outs, and scored their first run of the game on back-to-back hit batters, the second forcing in a run. A two-run single to left tied the game at 3-3, and then Scalese struck out the final batter of the inning to strand two runners and move the game to the third inning.
 
In the top of the third, Lackawanna loaded the bases with just one out, but an infield fly and a baserunning error left the Falcons without anything to show for it. Salem took advantage in the bottom half, scoring a run with runners on the corners and one out. The runner at first was caught straying off first, and while she got caught in a rundown, the runner at third broke for home and scored. The Falcons eventually got the out at second, then got around a walk and a hit batter to get a pop up for the third out, but Salem led 4-3 after three.
 
With one out in the top of the fourth, Lindsey Tasker sliced a pitch to right field that deflected off the diving outfielder and ricocheted into the corner. Tasker sprinted around the bases and made it home standing for an inside-the-park home run to tie the game at 4-4 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
Both teams were quiet through the bottom of the fifth, when Salem put two on with two outs, but Scalese got a ground ball to short that resulted in a fielder's choice for the third out, stranding another two batters. And keeping things at 4-4.
 
In the top of the sixth inning, the Falcons made two outs on the base paths, then stranded a third runner, and Salem made Lackawanna pay in the bottom half. The Oaks loaded the bases through the first three batters, but Scalese bounced back into shape with a pair of strikeouts. She got two strikes on the next batter, but a wild pitch let a run come home to make it 5-4, Oaks. Scalese recovered to strike out the next batter and keep the Oaks from adding to their lead, setting up for Tasker's heroics in the seventh to give the Falcons the game one win.
 
It was Dinice (Terryville, CT) that carried the Falcons in the pitching circle in game two, giving up two runs on eight hits in seven innings, while striking out five batters. Heimberger had two more hits, while Tori May (New Castle, PA) had two hits and two RBIs, and Laniah Tasker added another pair of hits.
 
In the first inning, the Falcons had runners on first and second with two outs, when Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) singled to left to score a run. May followed with another RBI single to make it 2-0, Falcons, heading into the bottom half.
 
Dinice danced around two singles through the first two innings, and then Lackawanna tried to add more in the top of the third, loading the bases with one out. Unfortunately for the Falcons, a pop up and a strike out stranded the bases loaded and kept Lackawanna off the board.
 
Salem got itself going in the bottom frame, singling to center to drive in a run with the bases loaded to make it 2-1, Falcons. Still with the bases loaded and two down, the Oaks couldn't cash in, popping out to left to leave the bases loaded.
 
Neither team scored in the fourth, with Salem once again stranding the bases loaded, and Lackawanna got a run back in the fifth, when May sac flied to center field to cash in Laniah Tasker after she led the inning off with a double.
 
Lead 3-1 in the top of the sixth, Lackawanna got a leadoff single from Lindsey Tasker, followed by an error that let Mekenzie Dineen (Wilmington, DE) reach base. Later, with runners on the corners and two down, Heimberger singled to left to score Tasker and make it 4-1. Later, after a walk loaded the bases, a wild pitch scored Dineen and made it 5-1, Lackawanna, heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
A two-out single from Salem cut it to 5-2 in the sixth, but Dinice stranded a pair with a ground ball to short to end the threat. She came back out for the seventh inning, pitched around a walk with a strikeout, a line out, and then a pop out to center to end things and secure a sweep for the Falcons.
 
Lackawanna College has won six straight games, and the Falcons have a few days off before getting aback to work with a road doubleheader at Harford CC on Friday, April 4^th. The first game is set for 2:00pm ET in Bel Air, MD.