SCRANTON, PA – Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) hit the go-ahead home run and Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) controlled the Marywood University bats in a 2-1 game one victory of a non-conference doubleheader Thursday for the Wilkes University softball team. Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) and Christina Gambino (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) hit two-run home runs and Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) was strong in the circle in an 8-1 game two win at Pacers Field.

Wilkes improved to 13-5 overall this season with the doubleheader sweep while Marywood dropped to 6-8.

Marywood used a solo home run by Alexa Scala with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to score its run in game one.

The Lady Colonels had at least one hit in the first five innings but could not bring any of the baserunners in to score, including leaving the bases loaded in the second inning and two runners on in the fifth inning.

Wilkes was finally able to come through in the top of the sixth when Gambino led off the inning with her third base hit of the game and Mia Lussier (Somerset, MA/Somerset Berkley) entered to pinch run for her and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Welker. Podlesney entered as a pinch hitter and singled down the left field line to score Lussier and tie the game at one.

Gibson completed a 4-for-4 game by putting Wilkes ahead 2-1 with a home run to right field with one out in the top of the seventh inning.

Staunton (6-1) then nailed down the final three outs in the bottom of the seventh to pick up her sixth win and her seventh complete game effort of the season. She allowed the one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

Jordyn Kondras (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg), Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove), Alexis Kessler (Bangor, PA/Bangor), and Podlesney each had one hit to bring the Lady Colonels total to 11 in game one.

Wilkes gained the lead in the top of the third inning of game two with a run after Lussier walked to lead off the inning. With two outs Staunton singled up the middle to bring Lussier across the plate from second.

Welker knocked her first home run of the season to center field to drive in Brown who led off inning with a single and gave the Lady Colonels a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth.

Gambino continued her torrid pace at the plate with a two-run home run in the fifth inning that scored pinch runner Sydney Cogswell (Apalachin, NY/Vestal) and gave Wilkes a 5-0 lead. Cogswell pinch ran for Staunton after she doubled and the home run chased the Pacers starting pitcher from the contest.

Marywood got on the scoreboard with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning but Podlesney was able to strand two runners to limit the threat.

The Lady Colonels bats responded in the top of the sixth for three more runs on six hits. Podlesney singled up the middle to start the inning and Megan Magoon (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) knocked a base hit to left. Both runners moved ahead on a passed ball and then scored on a two-run double to right field by Britny Jumalon (Torrance, CA/Torrance). Gibson then drove in Jumalon with a single through the right side.

Podlesney (4-4) pitched her sixth complete game of the season allowing just one unearned run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Wilkes racked up 15 hits in game two led by two each from Staunton, Gambino, Brown, Welker, and Sarah Birchmeier (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East). Kondras, Magoon, Jumalon, Gibson, and Podlesney all had one hit.

Wilkes heads back into Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom play when it hosts King's College on Saturday at the Ralston Athletic Complex. Game one of the doubleheader is set to start at 1:00 p.m.