MYRTLE BEACH, SC – Freshmen Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) and Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) recorded back-to-back no hitters to lead the Wilkes University softball team to a pair of 8-0 wins to open the 2017 season on Monday afternoon.
 
Wilkes posted an 8-0 victory in five innings over Lehman College in game before scoring another 8-0 five-inning victory over Sweet Briar College in game two.
 
Staunton fanned ten batters in the five-innings of work for Wilkes against Lehman in her collegiate debut. She also helped her cause at the plate finishing 2-for-3 with one RBI while Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) went 3-for-3 with two singles and a triple.
 
Podlesney was equally as impressive in the circle in her first collegiate start striking out ten batters in the five-inning win against Sweet Briar narrowly missing a perfect game allowing just one walk walk. Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) led the way at the plate in game two going 2-for-2 with an RBI double and triple while rookie Kaliyah Moore (South Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) finished off the victory with a walk-off RBI double in the fifth.
 
Wilkes is back in action tomorrow (Tuesday) with games against Medaille College at 1:30 p.m. and Hilbert College at 3:30 p.m.