EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University softball team won game one 9-1 in five innings before falling in game two 8-6 against Keystone College at the Ralston Athletic Complex on Wednesday evening.

The Lady Colonels are now 20-10 this season.

In game one, the Lady Colonels got on the board first in the bottom of the second with two runs on two hits.
Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) started the rally with a single through the left side and was driven home one batter later on a double from Lacey Bixler (Williamstown, PA/Williams Valley). Bixler then moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to put Wilkes up 2-0.

Keystone responded in the top of the fourth with one run on two hits to cut the lead to 2-1.

The Lady Colonels pushed the lead back to two in the bottom of the fourth with one run on no hits. Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Staunton, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch to put Wilkes up 3-1.

The Lady Colonels ended the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring six runs on six hits. Kaliyah Moore (South Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) led off the inning with her first collegiate home run. Sarah Birchmeier (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) followed with a walk and moved to second on a single from Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley). Ally Paskas (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) followed with an RBI single scoring Birchmeier, with Podlesney and Paskas reaching third and second, respectively, on the throw. After a pitching change, Podlesney singled to left that bounced right on the foul line behind third to load the bases with each runner moving up a base on an illegal pitch. Staunton followed with a single to left that brought home Paskas and moved Podlesney to third. After Staunton moved up on a passed ball, Bixler ended the game with a two-run double that scored Podlesney and Staunton.

Podlesney improved to 8-5, pitching all five innings and giving up one run on three hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Staunton (2-2, two runs, one RBI) and Bixler  (2-3, one runs, three RBI's) led the offensive attack for the Lady Colonels.

In game two, Keystone jumped out to the first lead after scoring one run on one hit in the top of the first.

Wilkes responded quickly in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs on three hits with the aid of one error. Birchmeier led off with a single to left and came around to score when Gibson's base hit got past the left fielder with Gibson reaching second and coming home on Staunton single to right.

The Lady Colonels pushed their lead to five in the bottom of the third with four runs on six hits. Podlesney started the inning with a single to left and moved up on Staunton's sacrifice bunt. Bixler then singled to left, moving Podlesney to third before stealing second to put runners at second and third. Paskas then hit an RBI groundout before Caitlin
Brown doubled to the gap in left center to bring home Bixler before Christina Gambino (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) launched her conference-leading fifth home run to bring home Brown.

Things fell apart in the top of the seventh for Wilkes, giving up seven runs on four hits with three errors as the Giants came all the way back to take an 8-6 lead that they would not relinquish.

Erika Gerace (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain) suffered her first loss, surrendering six runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and one strikeout. Nicole Cumbo (Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) started and pitched 4.2 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Gambino led the way at the plate in game two, finishing 3-for-4 with one run scored and two RBI's. Birchmeier, Brown, and Moore each finished with two hits.

Wilkes returns to action on Saturday when it travels to King's College for a 1:00 p.m. MAC Freedom doubleheader.