Game One Box / Game Two Box

WILKES-BARRE – Jackie Follweiler (Slatington/Northern Lehigh) had a walk-off single in game one while Lindsay Behrenshausen (Mt. Holly Springs/Boiling Springs) had a season-high 10 strikeouts and the Lady Colonels combined for 15 runs on 26 hits as Wilkes University split its Freedom Conference softball opener with Delaware Valley College 8-7 and 14-7 on Monday afternoon.

Going into the seventh inning of game one knotted up at 6-6, the Aggies had runners on first and second when Kasey Martin hit a double to the fence in left. One runner came around to score as Delaware Valley took the lead, but the runner from first was thrown out at home as Follweiler moved over from her spot at first base to cut off the throw from Abbey Agresti (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin East) and flip it to Jordan Borger (Kunkletown, PA/Pleasant Valley) behind the plate.

With Greer McComas entering at pitcher in relief for the Aggies in the bottom half, Wilkes went to work, getting a leadoff single by Alysha Bixler (Williamstown, PA/Williams Valley), followed by another single from Borger. Trying to get Bixler out at third on the single, Borger moved up a bag, putting the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with no outs.

A wild pitch by McComas on the next batter allowed Bixler to tie the score, while the winning run moved up to third. Two batters later, Follweiler stepped up, slapping a pitch over the center fielders head, bringing up Borger for the win.

Behrenshausen got the complete game win in the circle for the Lady Colonels, getting the most strikeouts since fanning 13 against William Patterson back in 2009.

Borger went 3-for-3 with two runs scored in game one, getting an RBI double off the fence in right center in the first inning, driving in Kait Brown (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) for the Lady Colonels first run.

Follweiler finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, knocking in two with a double in the fifth, which highlighted a three-run inning as the Lady Colonels took a 6-4 lead heading into the sixth.

Brown, Bixler and Cori Saltzer (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin East) each drove in runs for the Lady Colonels in the win.

The Aggies (5-5, 1-1) came out hot in game two, scoring runs in each of the first five innings to take a 12-5 lead.

Wilkes got on the board in the third inning, as Megan Mowery (Berwick/Berwick) and Brown led off with back-to-back singles, setting up a three-run shot to left center from Bixler, her first homer of the year.

Two more runs for the Lady Colonels came the following inning, when Borger smashed a double deep to center, bringing around Brown from first. Saltzer followed that up with a single, bringing home Borger from second.

The Lady Colonels added more excitement in their half of the sixth, getting back-to-back solo jacks from Borger and Saltzer, narrowing the gap to five at 12-7.

Their deficit would be too much, however, as game one starter Maggie Kichler threw the final 1.2 innings, striking out one without giving up a hit as the Aggies scored two insurance runs in the seventh to take the 14-7 win.

McComas improved to 3-1 on the year as she got the game two start, giving up seven runs and striking out four in 5.1 innings of work.

Bixler started for the Lady Colonels and picked up the loss, but finished 2-of-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Borger again got three hits, driving in two runs off the two extra base hits, added two more runs scored, while Saltzer finished 2-of-3 with two RBI. Brown added another three hits for Wilkes.

The Lady Colonels (1-9, 1-1) remain at home for their next games as they are scheduled to host Commonwealth opponent Lycoming College on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.