SCRANTON – Sophomore Christina Gambino (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) and freshman Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) launched home runs to back sophomore Nicole Cumbo (Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area)'s three-hit complete game victory in game one, 7-1, before a Lady Colonels comeback feel short in game two 7-6 as the Wilkes University softball team split its non-conference doubleheader at Marywood University on Sunday afternoon.

The Lady Colonels are now 11-21 overall after their split.

Wilkes got on the board in the top if the first in game one as sophomore Grace Sanzalone (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingstone) led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Sarah Birchmeier (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East). Gambino stepped up next and lifted her first home run of the season over the fence in right-center field to give the Lady Colonels a 2-0 lead.

Wilkes added three more runs in the top of the sixth on three hits and a walk. Junior Lacey Bixler (Williamstown, PA/Williams Valley) led off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout, but was forced out on a fielder's choice off the bat of Cumbo. Junior Mikala Strum (Grass Valley, CA/Nevada Union) advanced Cumbo to second, and both runners came home to score on Welker's team-leading third home run of the season to give the Lady Colonels a 5-0 lead. Wilkes finished its scoring in the top of the seventh on a two-run single by freshman Alexis Ayache (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) that scored sophomore Mia Lussier (Somerset, MA/Somerset Berkley) and freshman Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove).

Marywood scored one run on one hit in the bottom of the seventh to reach the final score.

Gambino led the Lady Colonels at the plate in the first game, finishing 2-for-4 with two rbi's and one run scored. Sanzalone went 2-for-4 while Welker added 1-for-3 with three rbi's and one runs scored and Ayache finished 1-for-3 with two rbi's.

Cumbo allowed one run on three hits with zero walks and four strikeouts to earn her fourth win of the season.

The Pacers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in game two before Wilkes scored three runs in the top of the second. Ayache led off the inning with a double to left and was pinch-run for by freshman Tea Heister (Weatherly, PA/Weatherly). Strum followed with a triple to right that scored Heister and was followed by a triple from Welker to drive in Strum. Sanzalone drove in Welker with a sacrifice fly to left to end the scoring in the inning.

Marywood responded with two runs in the bottom of the second on four hits and an error to take a 4-3 lead, and added a fifth run in the bottom of the fourth on three hits. The Pacers added an additional two runs in the bottom of the sixth on two hits and two errors to take a 7-3 lead.

The Lady Colonels would not go down without a fight, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh, all with two outs. Birchmeier got the rally started when she was hit by a pitch and advanced to third following a single from Gambino and an error by the right fielder. Bixler followed with a walk to load the bases, and two runs came into score on another error by the right fielder off the bat of Brown, who advanced to second base, but Wilkes was unable to tie the score.
Brown and Ayache led the Lady Colonels at the plate, each finished with two hits.

Ayache took the loss in the second game, throwing 1.1 innings and surrendering four runs (three earned) on five hits with one walk.

Wilkes returns to action on Tuesday when it will host Summit University of Pennsylvania for a 6 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at the Ralston Athletic Complex.