Steve Finkernagel

Alysha Bixler hit a two-run home run to give Wilkes a 5-3 lead in game two at King's

WILKES SOFTBALL UNABLE TO HOLD LEADS IN FREEDOM DEFEATS AT KING’S

4/4/2013 8:21:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

WILKES SOFTBALL UNABLE TO HOLD LEADS IN FREEDOM DEFEATS AT KING'S

WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University softball team jumped out to leads in both contests at Freedom Conference rival King's College but the Lady Colonels were unable to hold on to the advantages falling 9-7 in game one before a 7-5 loss in the nightcap Thursday afternoon at the Betlzer Athletic Complex.

Wilkes falls to 7-13 overall and 0-4 in Freedom games while King's improves to 18-2 overall and a perfect 6-0 in league play.

In game one, Wilkes got off to a hot start. The Lady Colonels put up a single tally in the top of the first when Michelle Coyle (West Milford, PA/West Milford) walked and advanced to second on a single by Jessalyn Paveletz (Hanover Township, PA/Hanover Area). After an Alex Hoops (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) walk to load the bases, Emily McGrath (Upper Darby, PA/Drexel Hill) connected for a sacrifice fly to right field, plating Coyle.

The two squads traded zeroes until the top of the third when the Lady Colonels added two more runs to make it a 3-0 lead. Coyle singled to start the inning and moved to second on a Mandy Seccia (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) sacrifice bunt. Paveletz then delivered an RBI double to right center, scoring Coyle in the process. McGrath came through again with a single to center scoring Paveletz.

In the fourth frame, both teams scored two runs apiece. Vickie Warne (Philadelphia, PA/Milton Hershey) singled and scored on a Seccia single through the right side. Coyle singled and later scored on a Paveletz double to center field.

Wilkes added two more tallies in the fifth. A McGrath walk and Haylie Phillips (Rome, PA/Northeast Bradford) single set the stage for a two run double from Laykin Hughes (Minersville, PA/Pottsville). The Monarchs garnered six runs in the bottom of the fifth on hits from Erin Beane, Kayla Rutkowski, and Katie Kowalski and a pair of errors. King's snagged another single tally in the sixth, and the Lady Colonel offense couldn't manage to bring any more runs to the plate falling 9-7.

King's opened with a 2-0 lead in game two after one inning of play thanks to a two-run home run from Tina Seber. Wilkes responded in the second cutting the lead in half as Coyle singled up the middle to score Alysha Bixler (Williamstown, PA/Williams Valley).

After King's added a run in the third, the Lady Colonels used back-to-back two run home runs in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead entering the sixth. First Alex Hoops (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) notched her third long ball of the year followed by a two-run shot from Bixler to give the Lady Colonels their first lead of the contest.

The Lady Monarchs used timely hitting in the sixth as they did in game one to take back the advantage scoring four times in the frame. King's would hold on in the seventh to preserve the Freedom sweep.

Brooke Chapin (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) received the loss in game two going five and two-thirds innings allowing seven runs on 12 hits. Laykin Hughes (Minersville, PA/Pottsville) suffered the defeat in the circle in game one throwing all six innings allowing four earned runs on eight hits.

Wilkes continues Freedom play Saturday hosting Manhattanville College at 1:00 p.m. at the Ralston Athletic Complex.

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