EDWARDSVILLE – Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) tossed a complete-game and Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) hit a two-run home run in each game as the Wilkes University softball team split its Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader with King's College on Saturday afternoon, taking game one 4-1 before dropping the second game 14-2.

The Lady Colonels are now 4-2 in conference and 14-6 overall.

King's opened the scoring in game one with a sacrifice fly in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead.

Wilkes took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) singled to center bringing home Britney Jumalon after Jumalon led off the frame with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) and advanced to third on a deep Staunton fly out to center. After Christina Gambino (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) walked to put runners at first and second, Welker hit a double to right scoring Brown and handing the Lady Colonels a 2-1 lead.

Welker put the game away with her two-out, two run homer in the bottom of the sixth which scored Staunton, who led off the inning with a single.

Staunton improved to 7-1 in the circle with the victory, giving up just the lone run on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Welker and Staunton each finished the game 2-for-3 with one run scored, and Welker adding three RBI's.

Game two was a different narrative, as the Monarchs raced out to a 14-0 lead before Welker's two-run bomb in bottom of the seventh.

Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) pitched 3.1 non-consecutive innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits with one strikeout. Gambino went 3.1 innings while surrendering four runs (three earned) on five hits with one walk, while Erika Gerace (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain) went 0.1 innings.

Welker, Sarah Birchmeier (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East), Staunton, Gambino, and Podlesney each had one hit in game two.

Wilkes returns to action tomorrow when it heads to Delaware Valley for a 1:00 p.m. MAC Freedom doubleheader.