CENTER VALLEY, PA – The Wilkes University softball team closed out the 2018 regular season with two victories at DeSales University in a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader Saturday afternoon. Wilkes took game one 6-2 and game two 7-0 over the team that entered the day atop the conference standings and knocked three home runs in doing so.

With the sweep, Wilkes improved to 23-15 overall and 7-7 in the MAC Freedom. DeSales dropped to 13-13 overall and at 9-5 in the conference earned the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

Wilkes wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard by starting game one with two runs in the top of the first inning. Jordyn Kondras (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) led off the game by reaching on a hit by pitch. After she advanced to second on a wild pitch, Britny Jumalon (Torrance, CA/Torrance) walked. Both runners then advanced as Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) reached on a throwing error by the catcher when she laid down a bunt. Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) then hit a two-run single to right field that scored Kondras and Jumalon.

Gibson hit her third home run of the season when she took a pitch deep to right center in the top of the second inning. Jumalon came into score on the home run as she reached base on a fielder's choice as the Lady Colonels went up 4-0.

DeSales scored one run in the bottom of the fourth inning when the leadoff hitter was hit by a pitch, stole second, and then scored on a single. The Bulldogs added a second run in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff home run by Leann Panconi.

Wilkes would add two insurance runs in the top of the seventh on a two-out two-run double by Sarah Birchmeier (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) that brought in Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) and Christina Gambino (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge).

Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) (10-3) then capped off a complete game effort in the circle by retiring the Bulldogs in order with two groundouts and a pop out. She earned her tenth win of the season by going seven innings while giving up two earned runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

Gibson went 2-for-3 with two RBI's in game one. Podlesney (2-for-4, 2 RBI's) and Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) (2-for-3) also has multi-hit games. Kondras, Jumalon, Gambino, and Birchmeier each added one hit.

Podlesney (7-10) pitched her first shutout of the season in game two. She went all seven innings allowing just three hits and two walks to earn her seventh win of the season from the circle.

Gambino knocked a three-run home run in the top of the second inning to put the Lady Colonels ahead 3-0. The long ball was the eighth of the season and the 17^th of the senior's career. Podlesney and Brown each reached on base hits with one out to set the stage for Gambino.

Wilkes added to its lead in the top of the fourth inning after Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) led off with a single to center field and then stole second. Alexis Kessler (Bangor, PA/Bangor) then reached on a bunt single to advance Welker to third. Kessler then stole second and with two outs Jumalon singled through the right side for two RBI's as Welker and Kessler scored.

Brown provided more offense in the top of the fifth with a two-run home run to left field. It was the second home run of the season for Brown. Podlesney reached on a double down the left field line before Mia Lussier (Somerset, MA/Somerset Berkley) pinch ran for her and scored on the long ball.

Gambino finished game two going 3-for-4 with three RBI's to bring her batting average to .427 for the season and her RBI total to a MAC Freedom-best 34. Brown (2-for-3, 2 RBI's, 2 runs), Podlesney (2-for-4), and Welker (2-for-3) all finished with multi-hit games. Jumalon, Alexis Kessler (Bangor, PA/Bangor), and Nicolette Kessler (Bangor, PA/Bangor) each added one hit to bring to Lady Colonels hit total to 12 for the game.