4/24/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College softball is streaking towards the end of the regular season, and the Falcons will try to end strong with six Region XIX Division II games over three of the next four days this weekend, all at home.
 
The first doubleheader is set for Thursday, April 24^th, when the Falcons are set to host the Salem CC Mighty Oaks. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 3:30pm ET at Scranton HS softball field.
 
The second doubleheader is set for Friday, April 25^th, where the Falcons will host Mercer County CC for what's left of the doubleheader that was suspended by rain and lightning from a week ago. The first game will resume in the top of the fifth, with the Falcons ahead 4-1, at 12:00pm ET at Scranton HS softball field, with game two following soon after.
 
The third and final doubleheader is scheduled for Sunday, April 27^th, as Lackawanna is set to host Raritan Valley CC for the final regular season contest. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 12:00pm ET at the Scranton HS softball field.
 
All three doubleheaders will have a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
On the year, the Falcons have beaten Salem and Raritan Valley in doubleheaders on the road, while dropping a road doubleheader at Mercer earlier this season.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (24-22, 9-5) have won three straight games heading into the weekend, which includes a doubleheader sweep at Sussex County CC this past Tuesday. The Falcons won 8-0 in five innings of game one, then won game two with a seven-run outburst in the sixth inning to take it 12-2 in six. In game one, the Falcons took an 8-0 lead after just two innings, then coasted to the win. In game two, Lackawanna built a 5-0 lead, saw it narrowed to 5-2, then scored seven runs in the sixth to push well ahead and close things out for the run-rule victory. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
The Falcons started slow, but are now up to .319 at the plate through 46 games this season. Lackawanna has scored 292 runs, averaging 6.3 per game on the year. The Falcons have 90 extra-base hits, including 61 doubles and 21 triples, and they have a .824 OPS. Lackawanna has drawn 154 walks and struck out 208 times. They have also stolen 78 bases.
 
Pitching-wise, the Falcons have been steady, posting a staff ERA of 5.13 this year. In 283.2 innings, the Falcons have allowed 277 runs, 208 earned, on 360 hits, while striking out 211 and walking 164. Opponents are hitting .297 against the Falcons this season and have been hit by 36 pitches. Lackawanna has thrown 62 wild pitches this season.
 
Defensively, the Falcons have 80 errors and a .932 fielding percentage. They've turned six double plays and caught 16 runners stealing this season.
 
Sophomore utility player Jillian Heimberger (Unionville, PA) is first on the team with 60 hits and is hitting .426 through 46 games. She has a 1.041 OPS, second on the team, and has scored 38 runs, second on the team. Heimberger is also second on the team with a .553 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .488. She has eight doubles, a team-high five triples, and 30 RBIs. Heimberger has drawn 17 walks and stolen 14 bases. Heimberger has 15 multi-hit games on the season, going a combined 5-for-7 with three runs and a double against Frederick on March 28^th. Heimberger was excellent against Corning on March 23^rd, combining for six hits in nine at-bats in the doubleheader split. She was a combined 5-for-7 with three runs, three RBIs, and two doubles in the sweep against Sussex. Against Salem, Heimberger was 5-for-8 with two runs and an RBI in the doubleheader victory. She had four hits and five runs against Raritan in two games, and she had three hits, two of which were doubles, against Mercer back in March. Heimberger has 48 putouts and 33 assists with a .910 fielding percentage this year.
 
Sophomore outfielder Emmalee Mowery (Mechanicsburg, PA) is second on the team with 58 total hits and a .417 batting average this season. Mowery has a 1.074 OPS, first on the team, boosted by a .520 OBP, and she leads the Falcons in doubles (12), extra-base hits (15), RBIs (37), walks (31), and runs (49). She has 17 stolen bases this season, also first on the team this year. Mowery has 19 multi-hit games during the season. She was 3-for-4 with a run scored, a double, and two RBIs in the win against Southern Maine CC on March 7^th. Mowery recently won her second EPAC Player Of The Week award, going 17-for-26 (.654 BA) in eight games last week, scoring 16 runs and driving in 15 RBIs. Mowery was a perfect 7-for-7 in the doubleheader split with Onondaga last Friday, scoring four runs and driving in six more. She was a combined 8-for-10 with nine RBIs and eight runs in two games against Raritan Valley CC. She was 2-for-4 with four runs against Sussex earlier this week. Mowery was a combined 2-for-8 with a double and two RBIs in the doubleheader with Salem earlier this season, while going 2-for-6 in two games against Mercer back in March. She has 98 putouts and three assists in the outfield this season.
 
First-year corner infielder and catcher Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) is third on the team with 40 hits this season, and she has a .308 batting average through 44 games. Laniah has scored 25 runs this year, third on the team, and she has driven in 25 RBIs, also third on the Falcons this year. She has one of the eight home runs for the Falcons this season, hitting a three-run homer against Morris to tie game two and eventually help Lackawanna win on March 18^th. Laniah has seven doubles and has drawn nine walks and been hit by two pitches this season. She has a .742 OPS. Laniah has eleven multi-hit games this year. Tasker was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the 8-3 loss to Kaskaskia on March 7^th. In the three games leading up to the Hazleton series, she drove in four runs and hit a double, which came in the 9-8 win against Corning Mach 23^rd. She was a combined 3-for-8 with two runs and three RBIs, which included her three-run homer, in two games against Morris. Tasker was a combined 3-for-7 with three runs and three RBIs in two games against Frederick on March 28^th. She was 3-for-7 with a run, two RBIs, and a double against Salem earlier this season, and she was 2-for-6 with an RBI in two games against Mercer back in March. Tasker went 1-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs in the doubleheader with Sussex earlier this week. She has 130 putouts and 28 assists this season, helping turn one of the five double plays for the Falcons this season. She has also caught four runners stealing.
 
First-year outfielder and pitcher Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) has 31 total hits, hitting .295 this season in 38 games. Scalese has 17 runs and 14 RBIs this year. She has six doubles and a triple, and has drawn four walks, been hit by a pitch, and has stolen three bases this season. Scalese has six 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 went a combined 2-for-5 with a run, two doubles, and an RBI against Sussex earlier this week. She went 4-for-5 with four runs and two RBIs in two games against Raritan on April 17^th. Scalese had two combined hits, including a double, and two RBIs earlier this season against Mercer, and had a hit and a run scored in two games against Salem on April 1^st. She has 28 putouts and eleven assists on the year.
 
First-year first base player Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) has 30 hits on the year, posting a .273 batting average through 43 games. Sokol has a .689 OPS and has 21 runs scored, while driving in 16 runs. Sokol has eleven walks this season and has been hit by five pitches, and she has four doubles and a triple on the year. Sokol has seven multi-hit games this season. She went 2-for-3 in a 6-4 win against Morris on March 18^th. Then, she hit twice in a loss to Mercer on March 22^nd. Sokol went a combined 2-for-7 with a run scored and an RBI in the two games against Salem on April 1^st. She had a double, two runs, and an RBI in two games against Sussex earlier this week. She had a combined five hits, with six runs and four RBIs, in two games against Raritan back on April 17^th. Sokol has 159 putouts and seven assists on the year.
 
First-year second base player Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) has 29 total hits this season, posting a .333 batting average through 43 games. Tasker has scored 22 runs, fourth on the team, and has three doubles, three triples, and an inside-the-park homer this season. Tasker has driven in 17 RBIs this season. She has 17 walks, tied with Heimberger for second on the team, and has nine stolen bases this season. Tasker also has a .905 OPS on the year. Tasker has nine multi-hit games this season. She was a combined 3-for-5 with two runs and a double in two games against Corning on March 23^rd. Tasker went 3-for-7 with three runs, two RBIs, and her inside-the-parker in two games against Salem back on April 1^st. She was 2-for-5 with an RBI in two games against Mercer back in March. She did not play the doubleheader against Raritan earlier this month. Tasker was 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs in two games against Sussex back on Tuesday. She has 54 putouts and 32 assists this season from second base.
 
Sophomore pitcher Brianna Dinice (Terryville, CT) has thrown the most innings for the Falcons this season, appearing in 19 games and throwing 81.2 innings this season. Dinice is 6-9 with a 7.03 ERA on the year, starting in all but two of her appearances. Dinice has allowed 95 runs, 82 earned, on 98 hits, while striking out 58 batters and walking 80. Batters are hitting .287 against Dinice this season, and she has thrown a team-high 33 wild pitches. Dinice has thrown seven 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 was great against Salem on April 1^st, allowing just two runs on eight hits in seven innings of the 5-2 triumph for the Falcons, striking out five for the victory. She allowed seven runs on four hits and six walks in just 1.1 innings against Mercer back on March 22^nd. Dinice gave up just one hit and struck out two in three innings against Sussex earlier this week.
 
Scalese has pitched in 77.1 innings this season, second-most on the team, and has made 17 appearances, 12 of which have been starts. Scalese is 7-6 with a 4.44 ERA. Scalese has given up 67 runs, 49 earned, on 98 hits, striking out a team-best 68 and walking 37. Opposition hitters have a .301 batting average against Scalese this year, and she has hit 14 batters with pitches this season. Mia has picked up three wins in her last three appearances. She threw a complete game shut-out, striking out a season-high nine in a win against Delaware Tech this past weekend. Scalese has struck out 24 batters in her last three outings, giving up just two runs on nine hits in 14 innings. 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 was roughed up against Mercer, giving up eight runs on 13 hits in six innings on March 22^nd, but she had allowed just one hit in four innings against the Vikings in the lightning-suspended game from last week. Scalese earned the win on April 1^st in the 6-5 win against Salem, allowing five runs on six hits and pitching around seven walks, while striking out six batters in seven innings. She threw four scoreless innings against Sussex on Tuesday, striking out seven for the win.
 
Heimberger has pitched the third-most innings, throwing 70.1 so far this season. She is 6-4 in 16 appearances with a 4.18 ERA, making ten starts. Heimberger has given up 68 runs, 42 earned, on 91 hits, with 38 strikeouts and 21 walks. Batters are hitting .298 against Heimberger so far this season. Jill has given up seven runs in her last three games, but only two have been earned runs. 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 March 20^th to pick up the win, giving up just one hit and striking out a batter. She tied her season-high for strikeouts with five, but lost the game to Brookdale on March 27^th, giving up eight runs on 12 hits in six innings. She bounced back the next day with a five-inning complete game win against Frederick, pitching a three-hit shutout against the Cougars. Jill pitched two innings of relief against Sussex on Tuesday, giving up two runs on a hit and posting two strikeouts in the 12-2 win for the Falcons.
 
The head coach for the Falcons is Jeff Pittsman, entering his 14^th season in charge of the Falcons. Pittsman has 288 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 Salem CC
The Mighty Oaks (17-21, 6-10) opened their season on a 6-2 tear, but the Oaks have been inconsistent as of late and were in the midst of a six-game losing streak entering the doubleheader with Morris on Tuesday. The streak ballooned to seven after losing game one, 10-7, but the Oaks won game two by a 9-5 margin to break the losing skid.
 
Salem CC is hitting .341 as a team this season, with a combined OPS of .907. The Oaks have scored 302 runs through 38 games, a 7.9 runs per game average, and they have 70 extra-base hits, including 52 doubles and 13 home runs. Salem has drawn 134 walks and struck out 107 times, while stealing 74 bases. They have a .451 OBP, as a team, this season, and they have been hit by 51 pitches.
 
The two-person pitching staff has a combined ERA of 5.58 this season, giving up 230 runs, 155 earned, on 320 hits in 194.1 innings, entering the doubleheader with Morris. The Oaks have struck out 84 batters and walked 85. Opponents are hitting .384 against Salem this season, with 76 doubles and 22 homers.
 
The head coach for the Oaks is Angel Rodriguez, now in his third season in charge of the Mighty Oaks. Rodriguez helped revive the previously dormant Oaks softball program, going from 16 wins in his first season to a 31-14 record last year, helping the Oaks reach the Region XIX DII playoffs, where they upset top seed Mercer County CC in the first round, before eventually bowing out of the tournament. Rodriguez came to Salem after spending time at Gloucester City HS from 2018 through 2020, where he also served as a volunteer baseball coach in 2021. He was hired at Salem in April of 2022. Rodriguez had been the head coach of the ASA Gloucester Lady Brawlers travel softball program, developing young athletes from 14U through 18U levels. He is a graduate of Rowan University, and has a 64-53 record in his time at Salem CC.
 
Mercer County CC
The Vikings (33-3, 13-3), since splitting a doubleheader with Del Tech at home at the end of March, had won 12 straight and were coasting heading into their Tuesday doubleheader at Delaware Tech. DTCC, fresh off a defeat at Lackawanna and a sweep victory against Salem, mashed the Vikings in two games, winning 7-0 in game one and then 9-5 in game two, building an 8-5 lead through the first two innings. Mercer was one-hit through game one, striking out 13 times in the 7-0 loss, but scored four runs in the first inning of game two, only to see Del Tech rally back to pull away for the win. Mercer now sits in second place in the region standings, with four games left to play in their region schedule. The Vikings are receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division II rankings.
 
Mercer is hitting .397 as a team this season, with an impressive 1.058 OPS. The Vikings have 124 extra-base hits, which includes 79 doubles and 30 home runs. They've drawn 125 walks and struck out 115 times. They have stolen 52 bases on the year. Mercer has scored 366 runs in 36 games, averaging 10.2 runs per contest.
 
The Vikings have been stellar on the mound this season, posting a 2.12 staff ERA. In 211.1 innings, Mercer has given up 88 runs, just 64 earned, on 188 hits, while striking out 123 batters and walking 66. Opponents are hitting .259 against the Vikings this season.
 
Mercer has been excellent on defense, committing 28 errors and posting a .968 fielding percentage. They've turned seven double plays and caught one runner stealing.
 
Ryan Zegarski is in his 21^st season as head coach at Mercer, and he enters the weekend with 633 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.
 
Raritan Valley CC
The Lions (6-18, 1-13) have Region XIX contests against Sussex (Thursday) and Salem (Saturday) before taking on the Falcons this coming Sunday. Raritan has not played since losing 28-2 and 29-1 in a pair of games to Lackawanna College back on April 17^th.
 
Raritan is hitting .206 as a team this season, with a collective OPS of .584. The Lions have scored 81 runs in 24 games, averaging 3.4 runs per contest. Raritan has 30 extra-base knocks, with 18 doubles and eight home runs this year. The Lions have struck out 183 times and walked 40 times this season, while stealing 14 bases on the year.
 
The pitching staff has a 13.31 ERA this year, allowing 324 runs, 239 earned, in 125.2 innings. Opponents have struck out 53 times and walked 190 times this year. Opposition hitters are hitting at a .427 clip on the season, with 56 doubles and 20 home runs.
 
The Lions have struggled in the field, committing 78 errors this year with a .847 fielding percentage. The Lions have caught two runners stealing this year.
 
The head coach for the Lions is David Roman. Roman was a standout baseball player in Brooklyn, NY at Automotive HS before moving on to Kingsborough CC, where he played collegiate baseball. He eventually moved on to the Guam Major Leagues as a player for the All-Armed Forces Pirates. He also spent time in the semi-pro leagues in Florida. Eventually, he transitioned to coaching, taking over Little League teams in Brooklyn before becoming head softball coach at Mary Help of Christians Academy in New Jersey. He took the job at Sparta HS, where he turned their softball team from a six-win program to a 32-win program, competing for a county championship in 2022 and winning an NJAC American league title in 2021.
 
The Match-Ups
Lackawanna College is 8-0 against Salem CC since the start of the 2023 season, when Salem returned to varsity action and moved up to Division II. The Falcons won two games earlier this season, 5-2 and 6-5, on the road at Salem back on April 1^st.
 
Lackawanna is 4-10 against Mercer County CC dating back to the 2021 season. Mercer has won the last five games against the Falcons, with the last Lackawanna win coming on the road, 10-9, back in 2023. Mercer beat the Falcons twice, 18-1 and 8-5, earlier this season in New Jersey. Lackawanna hasn't beaten the Vikings in Pennsylvania since the 2022 season.
 
Against Raritan, the Falcons are 8-0 dating back to the 2022 season. Lackawanna has scored no less than 25 runs against the Lions in the last four games over the past two seasons. The closest game the two teams played was a 4-3 win for the Falcons back in the 2022 season. Lackawanna won the last two games earlier this season, 29-1 and 28-2, at Raritan on April 17^th.
 
Entering the weekend, the Region XIX Division II standings look like this, with the remaining region games next to the records:
 
1 – Delaware Tech CC (26-4, 18-2) [No remaining region contests]
2 – Mercer County CC (33-3, 13-3) [at Lackawanna DH, vs. Sussex DH]
3 – Lackawanna College (24-22, 9-5) [vs. Salem CC DH, vs. Mercer DH, vs. Raritan DH]
4 – Salem CC (17-21, 6-10) [at Lackawanna DH, at Raritan DH]
 
Delaware Tech has finished their region schedule. Mercer has four games remaining in region play. They would clinch second place with at least a doubleheader split with Lackawanna on Friday. Salem needs to sweep Lackawanna on Thursday and beat Raritan twice after that to have a chance to play itself into third, but the Oaks also need the Falcons to stumble. Lackawanna can play itself into potential contention for second place by winning all six games this weekend.
 
The first doubleheader with Lackawanna and Salem is set for Thursday, April 24^th, with first pitch set for 3:30pm ET at Scranton HS softball field.
 
The second doubleheader with Lackawanna and Mercer County CC is set for Friday, April 25^th, where both teams will play what's left of the doubleheader that was suspended by rain and lightning from a week ago. The first game will resume in the top of the fifth, with the Falcons ahead 4-1, at 12:00pm ET at Scranton HS softball field, with game two following soon after.
 
The third and final doubleheader, with Lackawanna and Raritan Valley CC, is scheduled for Sunday, April 27^th, with first pitch set for 12:00pm ET at the Scranton HS softball field.
 
All three doubleheaders will have a pay-per-view video livestream available via the Lackawanna College Athletics Network at lackawannafalcons.com/LIVE.
 
The Region XIX Division II playoffs are set to begin next Friday, May 2^nd, at Mercer County CC. The Falcons will be competing, and will be playing the host, Mercer, in the first round of the double elimination tournament, if the standings stay the same.