4/3/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College will look to ride a wave of momentum on the road in its next three contests, as the Falcons hit road for a trio of doubleheaders this coming weekend.
 
The Falcons start their odyssey on Friday, April 4^th, when Lackawanna travels to take on Harford CC in a doubleheader at Harford Varsity Softball Field in Bel Air, MD. First pitch of the pair of games is set for 2:00pm ET. There will be a video livestream available via the Fighting Owl Vision and the Harford CC Athletics website, linked HERE.
 
On Saturday, April 5^th, the Falcons will play a doubleheader at Delaware Tech CC in Region XIX Division II play. First pitch of the twin bill is scheduled for 1:00pm ET at DTCC's field in Georgetown, DE. There will be a video livestream available via the Delaware Tech Athletics YouTube channel, linked HERE.
 
The doubleheader on Sunday, April 6^th, will be a little more north, as the Falcons make the trek to Corning, NY to take on D3 #6 SUNY Corning CC. First pitch is set for 1:00pm ET at the Corning CC softball field. There will be a video livestream available via the Corning Community College Athletics YouTube channel, linked HERE.
 
About The Falcons
The Falcons (17-15, 4-2) have gone 8-2 in their last ten games and have won six straight contests. Earlier this week, Lackawanna had two of its biggest wins on the year, knocking off Region XIX DII opponent Salem CC in a pair of games Tuesday afternoon. Lackawanna College got great starts from its pitchers and big hits late, downing the Mighty Oaks by scores of 6-5 and 5-2. Lackawanna limited the potent Oaks offense to seven runs and 14 hits across two games. You can read the full recap HERE.
 
The Falcons started slow, but are now up to .302 at the plate through 32 games this season. Lackawanna has scored 165 runs, averaging 5.2 per game on the year. The Falcons have 52 extra-base hits, including 37 doubles and ten triples, and they have a .759 OPS. Lackawanna has drawn 92 walks and struck out 138 times. They have also stolen 46 bases.
 
Pitching-wise, the Falcons have been steady, posting a staff ERA of 5.46 this year. In 200 innings, the Falcons have allowed 199 runs, 156 earned, on 268 hits, while striking out 131 and walking 125. Opponents are hitting .311 against the Falcons this season and have been hit by 27 pitches. Lackawanna has thrown 37 wild pitches this season.
 
Defensively, the Falcons have 51 errors and a .940 fielding percentage. They've turned five double plays and caught ten runners stealing this season.
 
Sophomore utility player Jillian Heimberger (Unionville, PA) is first on the team with 42 hits and is hitting .442 through 32 games. She has a team-best 1.055 OPS and has scored 26 runs, tied for first on the team. Heimberger leads the Falcons in slugging (.537) and on-base percentage (.518), and total bases (51). She also leads the team with ten stolen bases this season, and she's second on the squad with 14 walks. Heimberger has 16 RBIs, second on the team this season. Heimberger has ten 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-8 with two runs and an RBI in the wins against Salem CC. She has 31 putouts and 25 assists this season.
 
Sophomore outfielder Emmalee Mowery (Mechanicsburg, PA) is second on the team with 36 total hits and a .375 batting average this season. Mowery has a .976 OPS, second on the team, boosted by a .466 OBP, and she leads the Falcons in doubles (9), extra-base hits (11), RBIs (21), and walks (17), and she is tied with Heimberger for first on the team with 26 runs. She has nine stolen bases this season, second behind Heimberger. Mowery has 14 multi-hit games during the season, including three of her last four games. 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 went 11-for-22 in seven games last week, winning the EPAC Softball Player of the Week. She scored ten runs and drove in nine, hitting five doubles and two triples. Mowery was a combined 2-for-8 with a double and two RBIs in her pair of games against Salem. She has 72 putouts and two assists in the outfield this season.
 
First-year corner infielder and catcher Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) is third on the team with 27 hits this season, and she has a .290 batting average through 30 games. Laniah has scored 15 runs this year and has driven in 17 RBIs, third on the Falcons this year. She has one of the only four 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 three doubles and has drawn three walks and been hit by two pitches this season. She has a .678 OPS. Laniah has eight 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 on Sunday. 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 on Tuesday. She has 81 putouts and 21 assists this season, helping turn one of the five double plays for the Falcons this season. She has also caught two runners stealing.
 
First-year second base player Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) has 23 total hits this season, posting a .319 batting average through 32 games. Tasker has scored 16 runs, third on the team, and has two doubles, a triple, and an inside-the-park homer this season. Tasker has driven in ten RBIs this season. She has 13 walks, third on the team, and has seven stolen bases this season. Tasker also has a .836 OPS on the year. Tasker has seven 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. She had a pair of hits in six at-bats and two runs scored in two games against PSU Hazleton on March 25^th. Tasker went 3-for-7 with three runs, two RBIs, and her inside-the-parker in two games against Salem in two games on Tuesday. She has 44 putouts and 29 assists this season from second base.
 
First-year first base player Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) has 21 hits on the year, posting a .266 batting average through 31 games. Sokol has a .664 OPS and has ten runs scored, while driving in ten runs. Sokol has eight walks this season and has been hit by a pair of pitches, and she has two doubles and a triple on the year. Sokol has four multi-hit games this season. She went 2-for-3 in a 6-4 win against Morris on March 18^th. Then hit twice in a loss to Mercer on March 22^nd. She was 2-for-3 with a double in the win against Corning on March 23^rd in game one. Sokol went a combined 2-for-7 with a run scored and an RBI in the two games against Salem earlier this week. Sokol has 132 putouts and six assists this season.
 
First-year outfielder and pitcher Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) has 19 total hits, hitting .257 so far this season. Scalese has appeared in 25 games this year and has eleven runs and seven RBIs. Scalese has drawn three walks, been hit by a pitch, and has stolen three bases this season. She has a pair of doubles on the 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 went a combined 2-for-7 with a run scored, an RBI, and a double in the two games against Corning on March 23^rd. Scalese went 1-for-7 with a run scored in the two games against Salem earlier this week. She has 17 putouts and ten assists on the year.
 
Sophomore pitcher Brianna Dinice (Terryville, CT) has thrown the most innings for the Falcons this season, appearing in 14 games and throwing 63.2 innings this season. Dinice is 5-6 with a 5.83 ERA on the year, starting in all but two of her appearances. Dinice has allowed 62 runs, 53 earned, on 74 hits, while striking out 44 batters and walking 59. Batters are hitting .280 against Dinice this season, and she has thrown a team-high 25 wild pitches. Dinice has thrown six 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 in her last start, allowing just two runs on eight hits in seven innings of the 5-2 victory for the Falcons, striking out five for the victory.
 
Scalese has pitched in 53.2 innings this season, second-most on the team, and has made 12 appearances, eight of which have been starts. Scalese is 4-5 with a 5.22 ERA. Scalese has given up 58 runs, only 40 earned, on 75 hits, striking out 37 and walking 31. Opposition is hitting .322 against Scalese this year, and she has hit 13 batters with pitches this season. Mia has picked up four wins in her last seven 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 was roughed up against Mercer, giving up eight runs on 13 hits in six innings on March 22^nd, but she came on to pitch well in relief the next day against Corning, allowing just two hits and striking out three in three innings against the Red Barons. Scalese earned the win on Tuesday 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.
 
Heimberger has pitched the third-most innings, throwing 49.1 so far this season. She is 5-2 in eleven appearances with a 4.68 ERA, making seven starts. Heimberger has given up 45 runs, 33 earned, on 66 hits, with 25 strikeouts and 17 walks. Batters are hitting .311 against Heimberger so far this season. Jill has picked up four of those wins in her last seven 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 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 shut out against the Cougars. She appeared against Sussex in game two this past Saturday as a starter, but had to exit after just one inning.
 
The head coach for the Falcons is Jeff Pittsman, entering his 14^th season in charge of the Falcons. Pittsman has 281 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 Harford CC
The Fighting Owls (10-10) come into the weekend as winners of five of their last six games, including a doubleheader sweep over Allegany College of Maryland this past Wednesday. Harford won both games against the Trojans in walk-off fashion. In game one, the Owls blew a 7-3 lead by giving up four runs in the seventh. They bounced back in the bottom half, getting a leadoff single, a stolen base, and then a fly-out to put the winning run on third, which scored because of a wild pitch. In game two, trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Fighting Owls went back-to-back with a bunt single and an RBI double that tied the game at 2-2. Another single put runners on the corners, and then a fielder's choice at short finished the game, as the throw home was off target.
 
Harford is hitting .316 as a team this season, putting up a collective .808 OPS. The Owls have scored 111 runs, a 5.5 runs per game average, and they have 36 extra-base hits, including 22 doubles and six triples. The Fighting Owls have drawn 56 walks and struck out 73 times on the season. Harford has stolen 16 bases as a team this season.
 
The pitching staff for the Owls has a collective 4.23 ERA. They've thrown a combined 122.1 innings, giving up 108 runs, 74 earned, on 185 hits. They've struck out 74 batters and walked just 28 this season. Harford's opposition is hitting .449 on the season, and the Owls have hit six batters and thrown 14 wild pitches.
 
The Owls have committed 27 errors and have a .947 fielding percentage so far this season. Harford has turned seven double plays and caught ten baserunners stealing this year.
 
The head coach for the Owls is Dan Ashby, now in his third season in charge of the Owls. Ashby was 26-8 in his first year in 2023, getting the Owls to the Region 10/20 Championship tournament. The Owls have gone 59-29 under Ashby.
 
About Delaware Tech CC
Del Tech (15-3, 7-1) has been floating just outside the NJCAA Division II national rankings this season. DTCC split a doubleheader with Mercer County CC on March 29^th, then won a doubleheader at home against Gloucester on March 30^th. DTCC won game one 2-1, holding the Roadrunners to just two hits. In game two, Gloucester scored three runs in the sixth inning to cut their deficit to 4-3, but Del Tech answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth and then held on for the 7-3 win. Gloucester committed five errors in game two, while each team posted nine hits, apiece.
 
DTCC is hitting .414 as a team this year, while posting a 1.090 OPS this season, boosted by a .603 slugging percentage. Del Tech has scored 187 runs this season, averaging 10.4 runs per contest. They've put together 59 extra-base hits this season, including 35 doubles, ten triples, and 14 home runs. DTCC has 65 walks and 71 strikeouts, and they have stolen 19 bases on the year. Del Tech batters have been hit by 13 pitches this year.
 
The pitching staff has been stellar for DTCC this season, posting a collective 1.95 ERA through 111 innings. They have given up 40 runs, 31 earned, on 89 hits, striking out 140 batters and walking 31 this season. Opposing teams are hitting .231 so far this season.
 
Del Tech has 21 errors and a .949 fielding percentage on the season. They haven't caught anybody stealing yet, but the opposition has only made ten attempts this season.
 
Guy Wilkins is the man in charge at Del Tech, now in his eleventh season at the helm. Wilkins has built Del Tech into a regional powerhouse, with DTCC consistently challenging for Region XIX supremacy. Wilkins spent a decade with the Delaware Diamonds travel softball team, prior to coming to Del Tech, winning a pair of national titles and coaching in national tournaments. Wilkins is a Delaware State University grad, playing baseball there, and had been a coach with the Sussex Central HS baseball program for 20 years. He was also an assistant coach for Del Tech baseball for six seasons. DTCC has been to the national tournament three times under Wilkins, putting together back-to-back 30+ win seasons in 2022 and 2023. Guy is 190-81-1 in his time in charge.
 
About SUNY Corning CC
The Red Barons (8-8) are the #6 ranked team in the latest NJCAA Division III rankings and have played just two games since last playing Lackawanna College back on March 23^rd. The Barons beat the Finger Lakes CC in a pair of games, 15-13 and 11-3, on March 27^th on the road. In game one, Corning rallied from a 13-7 deficit with six runs in the sixth inning to win a wild game one, 15-13, putting up 18 hits and three extra-base hits. In game two, the Red Barons scored eleven runs, scoring runs in all five innings to run away for the run-rule victory. Corning is playing Mohawk Valley CC on Friday, April 4^th, at home, before hosting the Falcons on Sunday.
 
The Barons are hitting .379 as a team this season, with a collective OPS at 1.085. Corning has scored 175 runs in 16 games, averaging 10.9 runs per game this year. The Barons have eight games where they've scored ten or more runs this year. Corning has 23 doubles, 13 triples, and 18 homers on the season for 54 extra-base hits. The Red Barons have drawn 84 walks and struck out 70 times, while stealing 37 bases on the year. Corning has also been hit by 18 pitches this year.
 
The pitching staff has a 9.22 ERA this year, giving up 150 runs, 126 earned, in 95.2 innings on 211 hits. They've struck out 44 batters and walked 42 this season. Opponents are hitting .433 against the Red Barons this year.
 
In the field, Corning has made 25 errors and has a .944 fielding percentage. The Red Barons have turned four double plays on the year and have caught one baserunner stealing.
 
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 714-260.
 
The Match-Ups
Lackawanna is 5-2 against the Fighting Owls since 2021, and they have a win over Harford CC already this season, taking a tight 3-2 contest against the Owls back on March 4^th in North Myrtle Beach, SC at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. Lackawanna came back from a 2-0 deficit, scoring a run in the top of the fourth, then took the lead on a two-run single in the sixth, winning by a run despite only getting three hits.
 
Delaware Tech owns a 13-2 record against the Falcons dating back to 2021. DTCC won nine straight games heading into 2023, before the Falcons earned a doubleheader split in the regular season. Lackawanna lost to Del Tech in the postseason four times in a row from 2021 through last year. Lackawanna split a doubleheader in the regular season last year, taking a 12-7 win against DTCC in game two at home last season.
 
Lackawanna is 3-2 against Corning since 2022, having split the doubleheader with the Red Barons two weeks ago in Scranton.
 
Lackawanna and Harford CC start things off on Friday, April 4^th, with a doubleheader at Harford Varsity Softball Field in Bel Air, MD. First pitch of the pair of games is set for 2:00pm ET. There will be a video livestream available via the Fighting Owl Vision and the Harford CC Athletics website, linked HERE.
 
Next up, on Saturday, April 5^th, the Falcons will play their doubleheader with Delaware Tech CC in Region XIX Division II play. First pitch of the twin bill is scheduled for 1:00pm ET at DTCC's field in Georgetown, DE. There will be a video livestream available via the Delaware Tech Athletics YouTube channel, linked HERE.
 
Finally, on Sunday, April 6^th, Lackawanna and Corning will play their doubleheader in Corning, NY. First pitch is set for 1:00pm ET at the Corning CC softball field. There will be a video livestream available via the Corning Community College Athletics YouTube channel, linked HERE.
 
After one day off, the Falcons will get back to work with the first doubleheader of four straight twin bills at home, starting with a Region XIX DII contest against Raritan Valley CC on Tuesday, April 8^th. The Falcons and Lions will start at 3:30pm ET with game one at the Scranton HS softball field.