EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University softball team used timely hitting and a pair of solid pitching performances on way to a MAC Freedom sweep of visiting Delaware Valley University Thursday afternoon at the Ralston Athletic Complex.
 
Wilkes took game one 1-0 before winning game two 3-1, both in seven innings. The Lady Colonels improved to 18-8 overall and 7-3 in MAC Freedom, moving into a tie for second place with cross-town rival King's College with two more conference doubleheaders remaining. Delaware Valley dropped to 4-9 overall and 1-7 in conference games. The 18 wins also matches the most since the 2009 season when the Lady Colonels finished 18-21 and earned its last berth in the MAC Freedom Tournament.
 
In game one, Wilkes only managed two hits, but they came in a timely fashion while also capitalizing on Aggie miscues. Wilkes' lone run came in the bottom of the third and proved to be the difference in the game. Lacey Bixler (Williamstown, PA/Williams Valley) began the frame with a single to right field before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from Sarah Birchmeier (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East). Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) grounded out to shortstop, but on the throw from first to third attempting to throw out a moving Bixler, the ball sailed over the third baseman's glove and into left field allowing Bixler to score on the play.
 
Podlesney earned the win in the circle, her seventh of the season, going all seven innings scattering seven hits. She battled her way out of innings with runners in scoring position and less than two outs three times including the third, fifth and seventh. DVU had its best chance in the seventh with runners on second and third and no outs, but Wilkes catcher Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) managed to catch the runner on third picking her off to end the rally for the Aggies.
 
Game two was dominated by Wilkes starting pitcher Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) who recorded her ninth win in the circle and the fifth time she has not allowed an earned run going all seven innings allowing just four hits while striking out eight Aggies.
 
Staunton also helped herself at the plate connecting on a two-run single in the first scoring Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) and Gibson to give the Lady Colonels an early 2-0 lead. DVU added its lone run in the fourth using a Wilkes error at second base. The Lady Colonels responded in the bottom of the sixth adding an insurance tally when Christina Gambino (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) drove in Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) with an RBI single.
 
Brown led all Wilkes hitters at the plate in game two finishing 2-for-3 with the run scored.
 
Wilkes remains idle through the Easter break before returning to action Tuesday traveling up interstate 81 to face the University of Scranton at 5:00 p.m. in a non-conference doubleheader.