5/1/25
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – After a week away, Lackawanna College softball will be rested and ready to go for the Region XIX Division II softball tournament this weekend, happening at Mercer County CC in West Windsor Twp., NJ on Friday, May 2^nd, and Saturday, May 3^rd.
 
The Falcons enter the tournament as the third seed, and they will face second-seeded Mercer County at 12:00pm ET on Friday in the second game of the tournament. The first game will pit top-seeded Delaware Tech CC against fourth seed Salem CC at 10:00am ET.
 
The tournament is double elimination, so the teams that lose the first two games will play an elimination game at 2:00pm ET, while the winners from games one and two will play the semi-final at 4:00pm ET.
 
On Saturday, another elimination game will start the day at 10:00am ET, followed by the championship series between the remaining two teams starting at 12:00pm ET. If the remaining unbeaten team is defeated, then there will be a winner-take-all championship game played at 2:00pm ET.
 
There will be a video livestream available for every game, via the Mercer County CC Hudl Fan account, linked HERE.
 
On the year, the Falcons are 0-4 against Mercer County CC, 1-3 against Delaware Tech CC, and 4-0 against Salem CC. Last year's tournament had the same four participants, with the Falcons losing in the first round to Delaware Tech, and then dropping the elimination game to Mercer County CC.
 
About The #3 Falcons
The Falcons (28-24, 13-7) won their doubleheader with Salem CC last Thursday, then dropped a pair of tight games to Mercer last Friday. They were scheduled to play the Raritan Valley CC Lions to close out the regular season on Sunday, but the doubleheader was canceled, and the Falcons took both games via forfeit.
 
Lackawanna College has not won a region title in softball since 2017, and the Falcons have three Region XIX championships (2001, 2002, 2017) in their history.
 
This season, the Falcons hit .328 at the plate in the regular season, with a collective .843 OPS. Lackawanna has scored 323 runs, averaging 6.5 per game on the year. The Falcons had 104 extra-base hits, including 72 doubles and 23 triples. Lackawanna has 21 sacrifice flies this season, and the Falcons have drawn 162 walks and been hit by 31 pitches this year. The Falcons have stolen 85 bases on the season. They have struck out 218 times this year, while grounding into six double plays.
 
Pitching-wise, the Falcons have been steady, posting a staff ERA of 5.27 this year. In 309.2 innings, the Falcons have allowed 302 runs, 233 earned, on 400 hits, while striking out 232 and walking 176. Opponents are hitting .302 against the Falcons this season and have been hit by 41 pitches. Lackawanna has thrown 69 wild pitches this season.
 
Defensively, the Falcons have 84 errors and a .934 fielding percentage. They've turned seven double plays and caught 18 runners stealing this season.
 
Sophomore outfielder Emmalee Mowery (Mechanicsburg, PA) leads the team with 67 total hits and a .441 batting average this season. Mowery has a 1.133 OPS, first on the team, boosted by a .534 OBP, and she leads the Falcons in runs (57), doubles (15), extra-base hits (19), RBIs (41), walks (32), and stolen bases (20). Mowery has 23 multi-hit games during the season, including her last four games. In that stretch, she's hitting 9-for-13 (.692) with eight runs and four RBIs. She was a combined 5-for-6 with four runs, three doubles, a triple, and three RBIs in the two games against Salem CC last Thursday. Mowery was a combined 4-for-7 against Mercer County CC last Friday, scoring four more runs and driving in another. Emmalee has a seven-game hitting streak entering the weekend. She finished fourth in all of Region XIX in total hits, seventh in runs, seventh in doubles, and first in walks this season. Against Mercer this year, Mowery is 6-for-13 (.462 BA) with five runs and two RBIs in four games. Defensively, she has 108 putouts and three assists in the outfield this season.
 
Sophomore utility player Jillian Heimberger (Unionville, PA) is second on the team with 65 hits and is hitting .425 through 50 games. She has a 1.029 OPS, second on the team, and has scored 40 runs, also second on the team. Heimberger has a .549 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .480, both second to Mowery this year. She has nine doubles, a team-high five triples, and 36 RBIs. Heimberger has drawn 18 walks and stolen 15 bases. Heimberger has 16 multi-hit games on the season, and she has a nine-game hitting streak entering the playoffs. Heimberger was excellent against Corning on March 23^rd, combining for six hits in nine at-bats in the doubleheader split. Heimberger went 2-for-5 in two games against Salem CC last weekend, driving in four RBIs. She followed that up by going 3-for-7 with two RBIs and a run scored in the doubleheader loss to Mercer last Friday. On the year, she is 6-for-14 (.429 BA) in four games against Mercer, scoring two runs, hitting three doubles, and driving in two RBIs. Heimberger has 51 putouts and 36 assists with a .916 fielding percentage this year.
 
First-year corner infielder and catcher Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) is third on the team with 46 hits this season, and she has a .317 batting average through 48 games. Laniah has scored 27 runs this year, third on the team, and she has driven in 27 RBIs, also third on the Falcons this year. She has one of the nine 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 eight doubles and has drawn nine walks and been hit by two pitches this season. She has a .754 OPS. Laniah has 13 multi-hit games this year. Tasker was a combined 4-for-7 with two runs, an RBI, and a double against the Mighty Oaks from Salem last Thursday in two games. She had a pair of hits and an RBI in the two games against Mercer last Friday. She is a combined 4-for-14 (.286 BA) with two RBIs in four games against the Vikings this season. She has 144 putouts and 29 assists this season, helping turn one of the seven double plays for the Falcons this season. She has also caught four runners stealing.
 
First-year outfielder and pitcher Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) has 36 total hits, hitting .313 this season in 42 games. Scalese has 20 runs and 18 RBIs this year. She has six doubles and two triples, while drawing four walks. She has stolen three bases this season. Scalese has a .739 OPS this year, and she has seven multi-hit games this season. Mia was 3-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI in two combined games against Salem CC last Thursday, while also getting a pair of wins in the pitching circle. She was a combined 2-for-6 with a run scored and two RBIs in the doubleheader loss to Mercer last Friday. Scalese is a combined 4-for-11 (.364 BA) with four RBIs this season against Mercer in four games. She has 30 putouts and 13 assists on the year.
 
First-year first base player Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) has 33 hits on the year, posting a .277 batting average through 47 games. Sokol has a .690 OPS and has 24 runs scored, while driving in 18 runs. Sokol has eleven walks this season and has been hit by six pitches, and she has four doubles and a triple on the year. Sokol has eight multi-hit games this season. She had a run scored, an RBI, and was 0-for-3 on Thursday in the doubleheader sweep past Salem. She had a combined three hits and two runs scored, along with an RBI, in the losses to Mercer on Friday. Gracie is a combined 6-for-12 (.500 BA) in four games against Mercer this season. Sokol has 171 putouts and eleven assists on the year for a .958 fielding percentage.
 
First-year second base player Lindsey Tasker (Clarks Summit, PA) has 31 total hits this season, posting a .341 batting average through 46 games. Tasker has scored 26 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 20 walks, second on the team, and has nine stolen bases this season. Tasker also has a .924 OPS on the year, third on the squad. Tasker has nine multi-hit games this season. She was 1-for-2 with two runs scored in two games against Salem CC on Thursday, and went 1-for-2 with two runs in the one game she appeared in against Mercer on Friday. Tasker is 3-for-7 (.429 BA) with two runs and an RBI in three games against Mercer this season. She has 59 putouts and 33 assists this season from second base, posting a .929 fielding percentage. She's helped turn three double plays on the year.
 
Scalese has pitched in a team-high 90.1 innings this season, making 20 appearances, 14 of which have been starts. Scalese is 9-7 with a 4.49 ERA. Scalese has given up 76 runs, 58 earned, on 115 hits, striking out a team-best 83 and walking 44. Opposition hitters have a .305 batting average against Scalese this year, and she has hit 16 batters with pitches this season. Mia has picked up five wins in her last six appearances, with her only blemish coming in the suspended game against Mercer that was restarted last Friday in the fifth inning. She threw a complete game shut-out, striking out a season-high nine in a win against Delaware Tech back on April 19^th. She threw four scoreless innings against Sussex on April 22^nd, striking out seven for the win. Then, last Thursday, she threw a five-inning victory against Salem in game one, striking out five and giving up just two runs in the 11-2 victory for the Falcons. She came back out in relief and pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn the win in game two, as the Falcons walked it off, 8-7. She took the loss against Mercer on Friday, giving up six runs in the final three innings of the 7-5 loss to the Vikings. She still managed to tie her season-best with nine strikeouts. In her last six games, Scalese has struck out 39 batters in 27 innings, going 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA in that span.
 
Sophomore pitcher Brianna Dinice (Terryville, CT) has thrown the second-most innings for the Falcons this season, appearing in 21 games and throwing 87.2 innings this season. Dinice is 6-10 with a 7.11 ERA on the year, starting in all but three of her appearances. Dinice has allowed 102 runs, 89 earned, on 108 hits, while striking out 60 batters and walking 84. Batters are hitting .294 against Dinice this season, and she has thrown a team-high 36 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. Dinice struggled against Mercer in her last outing on Friday, giving up four runs on five hits and walking three in four innings of what was eventually a 9-7 loss for the Falcons.
 
Heimberger has pitched the third-most innings, throwing 77.1 so far this season. She is 6-4 in 18 appearances with a 4.62 ERA, making eleven starts. Heimberger has given up 77 runs, 51 earned, on 104 hits, with 42 strikeouts and 22 walks. Batters are hitting .306 against Heimberger so far this season. Jill 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 gave up four runs on six hits in four innings in her last start, the 8-7 walk-off win for the Falcons against Salem last Thursday. She pitched three innings of relief against Mercer on Friday, giving up five runs on seven hits in the 9-7 loss for Lackawanna.
 
The head coach for the Falcons is Jeff Pittsman, entering his 14^th season in charge of the Falcons. Pittsman has 290 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 #2 Mercer County CC
The Vikings (37-3, 17-3) enter the tournament with a chip on their collective shoulders, in search of that elusive Region XIX crown. Mercer finished the year second in the region, with their three losses all coming to Delaware Tech CC, including a sweep last week.
 
Mercer has seen its season end in the region championship game against Delaware Tech in the last three years, including last year, when the Vikings hosted the tournament. It was the second-straight season that Delaware Tech cut short a 40-win Vikings season. Mercer hasn't won a Region XIX championship since 2018, and the Vikings have three (2007, 2010, and 2018) under head coach Ryan Zegarski.
 
As one would expect, this year's Mercer squad is impressive on offense, hitting .399 as a team this season, with a 1.063 OPS. The Vikings have 140 extra-base hits, which includes 89 doubles and 30 home runs. They've drawn 137 walks and struck out 133 times. They have stolen 56 bases on the year. Mercer has scored 400 runs in 40 games, averaging ten runs per contest.
 
It isn't just offense, as the Vikings have been stellar on the mound this year, as well, posting a 2.26 staff ERA. In 235.1 innings, Mercer has given up 100 runs, just 76 earned, on 215 hits, while striking out 144 batters and walking 72. Opponents are hitting .259 against the Vikings this season.
 
Mercer has been excellent on defense, committing 29 errors and posting a .970 fielding percentage. They've turned eight 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 637 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 #4 Salem CC
The Mighty Oaks (19-23, 8-12) pulled the big surprise last year, upsetting top-seed Mercer in the first round with a one-hitter, then almost pulling it off again against the Vikings in the elimination game on Saturday before eventually falling, 10-8, to bow out of the tournament. They won 31 games a year ago, and, despite a dip this season, find themselves back in the Region XIX playoffs. Salem returned to varsity action two years ago, competing in Region XIX Division II.
 
Salem CC is hitting .340 as a team this season, with a combined OPS of .917. The Oaks have scored 341 runs through 42 games, an 8.1 runs per game average, and they have 89 extra-base hits, including 66 doubles and 16 home runs. Salem has drawn 158 walks and struck out 133 times, while stealing 87 bases. They have a .453 OBP, as a team, this season, and they have been hit by 64 pitches.
 
The pitching staff has a combined ERA of 5.97 this season, giving up 275 runs, 195 earned, on 389 hits in 228.2 innings. The Oaks have struck out 101 batters and walked 99. Opponents are hitting .390 against Salem this season, with 82 doubles and 23 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 66-55 record in his time at Salem CC.
 
About #1 Delaware Tech
Del Tech (28-4, 18-2) enters as the hottest team in the field, going 13-1 through the month of April and having won six straight games. The four-time defending champions recovered from a 1-0 blemish at Lackawanna College back on April 19^th to sweep past Salem CC (10-0, 13-9), Mercer (7-0, 9-5), and College of Southern MD (8-3, 10-6).
 
DTCC is hitting .408 as a team this year, while posting a 1.085 OPS this season, boosted by a .604 slugging percentage. Del Tech has scored 323 runs this season, averaging 10.1 runs per contest. They've put together 107 extra-base hits this season, including 64 doubles, 16 triples, and 27 home runs. DTCC has 110 walks and 121 strikeouts, and they have stolen 41 bases on the year. Del Tech batters have been hit by 25 pitches this year.
 
The pitching staff has been stellar for DTCC this season, posting a collective 1.87 ERA through 194.2 innings. They have given up 67 runs, 52 earned, on 159 hits, striking out 270 batters and walking 49 this season. Opposing teams are hitting .230 against DTCC this year.
 
Del Tech has 29 errors and a .960 fielding percentage on the 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 203-82-1 in his time in charge.
 
The Match-Ups
The Region XIX Division II Championships will be held on Friday, May 2^nd, and Saturday, May 3^rd, at Mercer County CC in West Windsor Twp., NJ. All the scheduled games will take place on the Mercer County CC softball field, and the tournament is double elimination.
 
The Friday schedule looks like this:
 
Game 1 at 10am: (1) Delaware Tech CC vs. (4) Salem CC
Game 2 at 12pm: (2) Mercer County CC vs. (3) Lackawanna College
Game 3 2pm: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
Game 4 4pm: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
 
Saturday's schedule will be:
Game 5 10am: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser
Game 6 12pm: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner
Game 7 2pm: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (IF NECESSARY)
 
Every game will have a video livestream available via the Mercer County CC Hudl Fan page, linked HERE.
 
Here's a list of the previous Region XIX DII champions dating back to 2015:
 
2024 – Delaware Tech CC
2023 – Delaware Tech CC
2022 – Delaware Tech CC
2021 – Delaware Tech CC
2020 – No Tournament (COVID)
2019 – CC of Morris
2018 – Mercer County CC
2017 – Lackawanna College
2016 – CC of Morris
2015 – Delaware Tech CC
 
The winner of the Region XIX tournament will host the Atlantic A and B District contests the following weekend, May 9^th and 10^th, against the champion and runner-up from Region 10. The Region XIX runner-up will also advance to that weekend. In Region 10, Bryant & Stratton (VA) and Louisburg College are the top two seeds heading into their region tournament this weekend.