3/18/26
 
LITTLE RIVER, SC – The weather still wasn't exactly what Lackawanna College softball was hoping for when one thinks "Myrtle Beach," but the Falcons managed to realize their hopes for victory, snagging another pair of wins in the Palmetto State as part of the Fastpitch Dreams Classic on Wednesday afternoon, knocking off State Fair CC 10-0 in five innings in game one, and then winning late, 4-3, against South Suburban College in game two.
 
The Falcons (11-4) were unchallenged in game one by the Roadrunners (7-8) from State Fair, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the first to completely take control, cruising to the run-rule victory in just five innings.
 
After starter Ayahna Fleisher (Duncannon, PA) threw a clean first inning, the Falcons hit the front hard in the bottom half. With an out and two runners on, Riley Knott (Clarks Summit, PA) hit an RBI single to right to drive the first run in. A steal attempt led to another run to score, then two straight singles and a bases loaded walk drove in two more runs to make it 4-0, Falcons. Later, with two outs, Fleisher delivered the big blow, doubling to deep left field to score two more runs. Kyleah Edwards (Taylor, PA) singled to right to score another two, putting State Fair in an 8-0 hole after just one inning.
 
Fleisher pitched around two walks in the top of the second, and Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) picked up an RBI in the bottom half on a single to left. The Falcons had the bases loaded with just one out, but they couldn't score, stranding the three runners and leaving it at 9-0 after two.
 
Into the fourth inning, an error and a single eventually led the Roadrunners to runners on second and third with just one out, but Fleisher got a huge strikeout on a 2-2 pitch for the second out, then induced a pop out to second to strand the pair and keep things scoreless. Lackawanna scored one more run in the bottom half, as pinch-hitter Abigail Yenalevitch (Kingston, PA) delivered an RBI single to center to make it 10-0, Falcons.
 
Fleisher shut down the Roadrunners in the top of the fifth, retiring the side in order to end the game early via run-rule. Fleisher threw five innings of shut-out ball, giving up just two hits and striking out six. She also went 3-for-4 at the dish, posting a pair of RBIs and the lone extra-base hit for the Falcons. Sokol went 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Fleisher scored two runs, while Knott also crossed the dish twice.
 
Lackawanna was in a tight battle in game two against South Suburban College (3-6), trailing 3-0 after 3.5 innings, but rallied to tie the game in the fourth and then scored the game-winning run on a Fleisher double in the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-3, helping the Falcons secure the win with a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh.
 
Both teams struggled to get the offenses going early. Fleisher reached on an error to get the bottom of the first going, but a hot shot liner to third resulted in a double play that caught Fleisher straying too far off second. Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) singled to center with two outs, but the Falcons stranded her to remain scoreless through one.
 
South Suburban stranded a runner in the second, and Lackawanna did the same thing in the bottom half. The Falcons stranded another runner in the third, and it wouldn't be until the fourth inning when things finally broke through.
 
The Bulldogs got a one-out single to get a baserunner, but starting pitcher Mekenzie Revere (Ansonia, CT) induced a ground ball for a fielder's choice to get to two outs. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases, but a fly ball into the outfield looked like it might help the Falcons strand the runners. However, the ball was dropped for an error, allowing two runs to score. Another run came home later in the inning on a bases-loaded walk, pushing it to 3-0, South Suburban. Revere managed to get a strikeout to end the inning and keep things from getting out of control.
 
Lackawanna responded in the bottom half, getting a leadoff single from Knott and a one-out single from Sokol to put a pair of runners on. Scalese, the guilty party for the error in the outfield in the last half inning, stepped up for the big hit, lacing a two-run triple to right field that got the Falcons within one run. With two outs, Madison Pirolli (Southampton, PA) came up big, pulling a single to left field to score Scalese and tie the game at 3-3. The Falcons had two runners on with two outs, but a fielder's choice ended the inning and kept the game tied.
 
South Suburban got a two-out walk in the fifth, but Revere got a strikeout to keep the Bulldogs off the board. In the bottom of the fifth, Mackenzie Adolfson (Throop, PA) doubled with two outs, but the Falcons couldn't convert that run and things remained tied into the sixth inning.
 
In the top of the sixth, Revere hit the first batter, but got a pair of fielder's choices to get to two outs. She induced one more ground ball to second to end the inning and keep the game tied. In the bottom half, the Falcons finally pounced and seized their opportunity. With two outs, Pirolli singled through the left side on a ball that hit the diving shortstop's glove and deflected away. The lineup turned over and Fleisher came to bat. She wasted no time, ripping the first pitch for a double to left field that scored Pirolli and make it 4-3, Falcons, heading into the seventh.
 
Revere came back out for the seventh and shut the Bulldogs down, striking out a pair of batters and then getting a line out to Fleisher at short, ending the game and giving the Falcons a sweep for the day.
 
Revere went the complete game, giving up three runs, all unearned, on one hit, while striking out seven and walking five for her third win on the year. Fleisher was 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI. Adolfson was 2-for-3, while Scalese went 1-for-3 with her two-run triple. Pirolli was 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
 
The Falcons have won 10 of their last 12 games, and they are 5-1 in six games at the Fastpitch Dreams Classic this week. Lackawanna is back to action on Thursday, March 19^th, with another pair of games. The Falcons will take on Morton College at 12:00pm ET, and then State Fair CC at 2:00pm ET.