4/2/26
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – Lackawanna College softball kept the train rolling, as the Falcons swept past Brookdale CC in a pair of five-inning contests, 10-2 and 12-3, on Thursday afternoon at Scranton HS softball field in a Region XIX DII/DIII crossover.
 
The Falcons (24-7) pounded out 21 hits across both games, including eight doubles and one triple, overwhelming the Jersey Blues (16-8) in a pair of run-rule victories.
 
In game one, Lackawanna led in the first inning after a Mackenzie Adolfson (Throop, PA) double to center that scored a pair of runs. Brookdale managed to get a pair of runs home in the top of the third inning via a single to center, tying things up, but Adolfson delivered a big blow in the home half, doubling for a second time, this time down the left field line, to score two more runs and push Lackawanna in front at 4-2.
 
The third inning turned into a five-run affair for the Falcons. Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) singled to left to score another run, a double-steal scored another, and a wild pitch let one more run cross, making it 7-2, Falcons, after three innings.
 
Starter Mekenzie Revere (Ansonia, CT) settled in for the top of the fourth, getting a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to herself to retire the side in order, and Lackawanna scored two more runs in the bottom frame, cashing in on a Riley Knott (Clarks Summit, PA) leadoff double with an RBI single from Scalese. Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) followed that with single to right, making it 9-2 heading into the fifth inning.
 
Revere pitched around a one-out single to retire the Jersey Blues in the top of the fifth, and the Falcons ended things early in the home half. Ayahna Fleisher (Duncannon, PA) singled to lead the inning off and stole second base. After two straight outs, Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) hit a ground ball to short stop, seemingly ending the inning and keeping things going, but the subsequent throw was off-target, allowing Fleisher to round third and stride home for the game-clinching run.
 
Revere got the win in game one, going five innings and giving up two runs on three hits, striking out seven and walking three batters for her eighth win of the season. Adolfson was 2-for-3 with four RBIs and a run, while Scalese, Fleisher, Knott, and Sokol all had two hits. Scalese had two RBIs, Sokol had a double, Fleisher scored two runs, and Knott had a pair of doubles and two runs.
 
Game two was almost over before it really got underway, as Lackawanna scored ten runs in the first inning and coasted the rest of the way for the run-rule victory.
 
Fleisher led the inning off with a double, and later scored on a Knott single to center to get the scoring started. A Tasker single to center scored another run, and then Adolfson hit her third double of the day to score Tasker and make it 3-0, Falcons, with one out in the first.
 
Lackawanna scored a run on a fielder's choice to push it to 4-0, then scored six runs all with two outs, getting a bases-loaded walk, a two-run single from Scalese, a two-run triple from Knott, and an error that scored the tenth run of the inning.
 
Scalese, starting in her first game in nine days, got in a spot of trouble in the second, as the Jersey Blues hit a pair of singles to lead off the inning. Another single, followed by an error on the subsequent throw in, let two runs score. Scalese managed to get out of the jam with runners in scoring position, striking out a pair of batters to minimize the damage.
 
The Falcons got those two runs back in the bottom frame, when pinch hitter Arianna Gaylord (Exeter, PA) singled to left-center field to score a pair of runs. Lackawanna had the bases loaded with two outs later in the inning, but the Falcons couldn't add to their lead.
 
Brookdale scored a third run in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of a leadoff single, a ground out that pushed the runner to second, and then a single to right that scored the runner. Scalese stranded that runner with a pop up and then a fly out to keep the Jersey Blues from getting closer.
 
In the top of the fifth, Scalese hit the first batter, but a pop up to right was the first out. Another pop to right was almost out #2, but the ball was dropped. Abigail Yenalevitch (Kingston, PA) was quick to pick up the ball and fire it to second to get a force out. One final pop up to right was the final out, and Lackawanna secured a big doubleheader sweep.
 
Scalese allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits and five strikeouts, picking up her sixth win of the season. She was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs, while Knott went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a triple. Fleisher scored two runs, while Yenalevitch and Haleigh Mazol (Stroudsburg, PA) each scored twice.
 
Lackawanna College has now won five-straight games, and 12 of its last 13 contests since last Tuesday. The Falcons next have an important Region XIX DII doubleheader on Saturday, April 4^th, when Lackawanna is set to host Delaware Tech CC at 1:00pm ET at Scranton HS softball field. Del Tech is 4-2 in region play so far this season, and finished second last year, falling to Mercer in the region title game, but winning a pair of games against Louisburg to make it to the NJCAA DII Softball World Series. Last year, DTCC was 4-1 against Lackawanna, ending the Falcons' season in the Region XIX DII playoffs.