CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Wilkes University softball team split the opening doubleheader of its Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom schedule on Saturday afternoon, falling in game one 6-5 before taking game two 10-2.

The Lady Colonels are 1-1 in MAC Freedom play and 8-2 overall.

Both teams went down in order in their respective first innings before the Bulldogs hit a solo home run in the top of the second to jump ahead 1-0 and added to the deficit in the top of third with four runs on two hits while making three errors.

Wilkes started mounting its comeback in the bottom of third with three runs on four hits. Junior Sarah Birchmeier (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) started the rally with a one-out double to left and advanced to third on a groundout before coming in to score on a single from sophomore Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove). Sophomore Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) followed with a single to right that moved Brown to third with both runners coming in on freshman Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton)'s double to center to make the score 5-3.

The Lady Colonels tied the score in the bottom of the fourth with two runs on two hits. With two outs, freshman Gabrielle Molitoris (Coplay, PA/Whitehall) hit a single to left and came around to score one batter later when Birchmeier hit a two-run homer, the first of her career, making the score 5-5.

DeSales took the lead for good in the top of the seventh, coring one run on two hits.

Freshman Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) suffered her first loss of the season, going all seven innings and surrendering six runs (two earned) on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Birchmeier (2-4, two runs, two RBI's), Brown (2-4, one run, one RBI), and Podlesney (2-3, two RBI's) led Wilkes at the plate in game one.

The Lady Colonels got the scoring started early in the second game, registering one run on two hits in the bottom of the first. Molitoris hit a one-out double to left, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored on Welker's two-out single to left.

The Bulldogs tied the game in the top of the second with a lead-off home run and took a 2-1 lead in the top of third on one hit and one error.

It was all Wilkes from that point, scoring nine unanswered runs. The Lady Colonels took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on two hits. Brown led off the inning with a single to left and advanced to third on a double from Welker. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch (Brown scored) with Welker coming in to score on a fielder's choice from Podlesney.

Wilkes busted the game open in the bottom of the sixth, scoring seven runs on six hits and two errors. Brown started the rally with a one-out single to center and was pinch-run for by freshman Erika Gerace (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain). Welker followed by reaching on a two-base error that moved Gerace to third, with Podlesney reaching on an error to load the bases. Freshman Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) came through with a two-run single, scoring Welker and Gerace with Gibson and Podlesney advancing to second and third, respectively, on the throw to the plate. After a groundout, junior Christina Gambino (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) laced a single to left that scored Gibson and Podlesney while moving up to third on the throw to the plate. Freshman Kaliyah Moore (South Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) stepped up next and hit a single to center field that moved Gambino to third with both runners scoring on a double from Birchmeier with Birchmeier advancing to third. Freshman Hannah Miller (Taylor, PA/Riverside) finished the game with a single that scored Birchmeier to reach the eight-run advantage.

Podlesney earned her fourth win of the season, throwing all six innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts while walking zero.

Birchmeier (2-4, one run, two RBI's), Brown (2-3, one run), and Welker (2-3, two runs, one RBI) led the way at the dish in game two.

Wilkes returns to action tomorrow when they travel to FDU-Florham for a 1:00 p.m. MAC Freedom double-header.