Wilkes Softball Dominates in Sweep of Clarks Summit
EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University softball team dominated every aspect of its non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday evening, defeating Clarks Summit University 9-0 in game one before taking game two 19-0, both in five innings. Game two was the most runs the team has scored since game two against the Defenders last season, when it scored 17 runs.
The Colonels are now 17-12 this season.
Wilkes got on the board in game one with two runs in the bottom of the second. Erin Cabry (York, PA/Central York) led off the inning reaching on a throwing error by the third baseman and proceeded to steal both second and third, coming home on a passed ball. Later in the inning, Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) launched a solo home run over the left field wall to finish the scoring in the inning.
The Colonels added two more runs in the bottom of the third when Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross) led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a single from Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove). After Cabry singled and Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) reached on an error to load the bases, Brown came in to score on a wild pitch to make the lead 4-0.
Wilkes finished the scoring in the bottom of the fourth with five runs. Welker led off the inning reaching second on an error by the third baseman and came in to score on pinch-hitter Jaime Martin's (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) single to center. Giordano followed with her fifth home run of the season bringing in Martin. One batter later, Madison Ensley (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) hit a double down the right field line and came in to score on Brown's double to left center. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Brown scored on a groundout from Cabry to finish the scoring.
Staunton improved to 7-5 with the win, tossing four innings allowing two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. With her first strikeout of the contest, Staunton became the sixth pitcher in program history to reach 200 strikeouts. Erika Gerace (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain) pitched the final inning allowing one hit.
Giordano (2-3, two runs, two RBI's) and Brown (2-3, two runs, two RBI's) led the way for the Colonels at the plate.
In game two, Wilkes scored four runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by the first home run of Cabry's career, a two-run shot to deep left field. The Colonels added two more runs in the bottom of the second when Jumalon scored on an RBI single from Giordano, who advanced to second on the throw, stole third, and scored on a throwing error when the catchers throw went into left field as the lead stood at 6-0 after two innings.
The Colonels continued to add on to their lead with four runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a bases-loaded two-run single from Jordyn Kondras (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) that scored Martin and Caylee-Mae Williams (Yuba City, CA/River Valley). Later in the inning, Kondras and Rhiannon Aurand (Avondale, PA/Avon Grove) came around to score on an error that increased the lead to 10-0.
Wilkes added nine runs on six hits in the bottom of the fourth to seal the win.
Aurand improved to 4-2 this season, allowing one hit over four innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. Gerace finished the game with a clean fifth.
Williams finished game two 4-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI's. Kondras was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI's while Giordano and Welker added two hits apiece.
The Colonels return to action on Saturday when they travel to King's College for a 1:00 p.m. Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader.
