4/4/26
 
SCRANTON, Pa. – A late hit from the nine-hole hitter helped Lackawanna College softball split the spoils with Delaware Tech CC in a Region XIX DII doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Scranton HS softball field. The Falcons fell 5-4 in game one, then won with late help, 5-4, in game two.
 
The Falcons (25-8, 9-1) had just seen Del Tech (11-9, 5-3) tie the game via a bases-loaded walk in the top half of the sixth inning, and needed an answer in the bottom half from the bottom portion of the lineup. A one-out single from Mia Scalese (Moscow, PA) gave the Falcons a baserunner. Later, with two outs and nine-spot hitter Mekenzie Dineen (Wilmington, DE) up to bat, Scalese took advantage of a passed ball to scoot to second. The very next pitch, Dineen looped into center field. The hard-charging centerfielder, Baylee Lynch, who had seemingly made every catch leading up to that moment, couldn't close the gap this time around, and the ball hit the ground just in front of her diving attempt. Scalese motored around third and scored the go-ahead run to put Lackawanna back on top at 5-4 heading into the seventh.
 
That's where starter Mekenzie Revere (Ansonia, CT) really stepped up. After a leadoff single to center put the tying run aboard, followed by a sac bunt that put that runner on second, Revere got two of her biggest strikeouts of the year, back-to-back, one on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, then a sixth pitch of a 2-2 at-bat, helping secure the game two win for Lackawanna College.
 
After scoring one run in the first, Lackawanna trailed after the top of the second after a bases-clearing double from the aforementioned Lynch. Lackawanna cut into that lead with a Laniah Tasker (Chambersburg, PA) RBI single in the third, then turned the game around in the bottom of the fifth, scoring two more runs to claim the lead on back-to-back RBI singles from Riley Knott (Clarks Summit, PA) and Tasker. Tasker's was particularly harrowing, as her bouncing ball to center was fired on a rope from Lynch to the plate, and Knott just snuck her foot in under the tag.
 
In the top of the sixth, Del Tech used a walk, an error, and a one-out bunt single to the pitcher to load the bases. A four-pitch walk tied the game, and DTCC was threatening for more with the heart of the lineup up, but Revere got two important strikeouts to strand the bases loaded and keep the damage to a minimum, setting up Dineen for her heroics in the sixth.
 
Revere was excellent, striking out eight in seven innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on nine hits for her ninth win. Ayahna Fleisher (Duncannon, PA) was 2-for-3 with three runs, while Tasker was 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Scalese and Mackenzie Adolfson (Throop, PA) each had two hits in game two.
 
Game one was just as competitive, with Lackawanna holding a 3-0 lead through the first four innings, then 3-1 heading into the sixth, but Delaware Tech broke through big in that sixth inning to take the lead, then held off the Falcons in the bottom of the seventh for the win.
 
Fleisher was the game one starter, and she had been fine through the first four innings. In the fifth, an error at second let the leadoff runner on, which was followed by a sac bunt, a walk, and a strikeout. With two outs and the runner on second, Lynch singled to left on a 3-2 pitch to score the runner and get Del Tech on the board.
 
After the Falcons wasted a pair of two-out baserunners in the bottom of the fifth, DTCC did no such thing in the top of the sixth. A one-out double to left gave Del Tech a baserunner, and an error at first let the next runner on, putting two on with one away. A sharp double cleared the fielders with the next batter, scoring two to tie the game at 3-3. Later, with two outs and runners on second and third, another RBI hit, this time a single to center, scored a pair to push Del Tech in front at 5-3.
 
Lackawanna had one last gasp in the bottom of the seventh, getting Fleisher aboard initially with an error at short. After a pop out and a fly out, Tasker smacked a double to center field that scored Fleisher and brought the Falcons within a run at 5-4, but a grounder to third ended the potential rally and gave game one to Del Tech.
 
The Falcons had initially pounced on DTCC, scoring three runs in the first inning, with the first three batters reaching and the first run scoring on a Riley Knott RBI single to left. Later in the inning, with two outs and runners on, Gracie Sokol (Belle Vernon, PA) singled to center to score the pair and give the Falcons the 3-0 lead after one inning of play.
 
Fleisher gave up five runs, three earned, in seven innings, striking out six and allowing six hits, but got hit with her fourth loss of the season. She had two hits and two runs scored, while Sokol had two RBIs, Knott had an RBI and a run scored, and Tasker had an RBI late. Lackawanna left seven batters on base.
 
The game one loss is Lackawanna's first in region play, but the game two win keeps the Falcons ahead of Mercer County CC in the region standings. Lackawanna is now 9-1 in region play, first place, while Mercer is 7-1 and in second. Del Tech sits at 5-3, in third, while Salem CC is fourth at 5-7.
 
Lackawanna remains in Region XIX DII action on Tuesday, April 7^th, with a road doubleheader at Raritan Valley CC. First pitch is set for 3:00pm ET in Branchburg, NJ at Raritan's softball field.