MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Wilkes University softball team won all three games of a busy tripleheader day at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic on Wednesday. The Colonels defeated Wesley College 7-6 to start the day, then dispatched Rivier College 10-1 in six innings and finished the sweep with a 7-2 victory against the University of Mary Washington.

Due to unplayable conditions on Tuesday the game against Mary Washington was added to an already scheduled doubleheader forcing the Colonels to play more than two games on the same day for the first time since March 6, 2010 when they played four times. Wilkes handled the situation well and with the victories improved to 3-2 overall this season.

In the first game of the day the Colonels faced Wesley (2-6). The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and then added two more in the top of the third inning to go ahead 3-0.

Wilkes answered by scoring four runs on three hits and three errors in the bottom of the third to take its first lead of the season at 4-3. Caylee-Mae Williams (Yuba City, CA/River Valley) reached with one-out on a fielding error and then with two outs advanced to second on a Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross) single to left. Britny Jumalon (Torrance, CA/Torrance) then provided a two RBI double to left center to plate the Colonels first runs of the season. Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) then reached on a fielding error by the left fielder and Jumalon came into score. Haley Welker (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) followed with a RBI single to right center that brought in Podlesney and push the Colonels into the lead.

The Colonels added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on four hits. Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) doubled to start the frame and then scored on a Jessie Smith (Millersville, MD/Severna Park) double. After two strikeouts Emma Stauffer (Media, PA/Penncrest) provided a pinch-hit RBI single through the right side to score Smith. Erin Cabry (York, PA/Central York) then pinch ran for Stauffer and stole second and then came into score on Giordano's single through the left side to make the score 7-3.

A two run double with one out pulled Wesley back to within two runs in the top of the seventh. From there Staunton, who had pitched the first six innings, reentered in the circle for the Colonels with a runner at second. After allowing a base hit that advanced the runner to third the Colonels turned a double-play to end the game. On a bunt attempt, Wilkes threw the batter out at first but the throw home was then late and wide as a Wolverine scored, but Williams was able to tag out another runner trying to score to hand Wilkes the 7-6 victory.

In total, Staunton (1-1) went 6.2 innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits. She struck out five in the game. Smith (2-for-3) and Giordano (2-for-4) each finished with multi-hit games while adding one RBI and one run scored. Jumalon led Wilkes with two RBI's.

Game two against Rivier (0-4) belonged to Rhiannon Aurand (Avondale, PA/Avon Grove) (1-0) as the freshman made her first career start in the circle. She earned the victory by tossing all six innings allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out eight.

Rivier opened the scoring with a run-scoring triple in the bottom of the first inning before the Colonels scored 10 straight runs.

Wilkes started its scoring in the top of the second after Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) led off by earning first base with a hit by pitch. Megan Magoon (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) singled and then Sydney Cogswell (Apalachin, NY/Vestal) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Brown was out at home on a force out on the next play but then Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) knocked a two-RBI single that scored Magoon and Cogswell to put the Colonels up 2-1. Aurand would strike out the side in the bottom of the second inning.

Jumalon reached on an error in the third inning and then scored on Stauffer's pinch hit single after Brown sacrificed her to second to put Wilkes ahead 3-1. The Colonels would add four more runs in the fifth inning when Cabry hit a two-run double that scored Jumalon and Haley Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) and then later scored on a passed ball herself. After Giordano reached with a single she scored on Gibson's double to round out the scoring in the fifth.

Wilkes added three more runs in the top of the sixth after Jumalon walked to lead off the inning. Boyd and Catherine Hellevik (Summerfield, NC/Northern Guilford) reached on errors and then Cabry hit a two-run single to plate Jumalon and Boyd. Madison Ensley (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) then scored Hellevik with a groundout to first to cap the scoring.

Aurand then worked a perfect bottom of the sixth as Wilkes closed out Rivier 10-1.

Cabry went 2-for-2 with four RBI's to lead the Colonels. Gibson was 2-for-5 with three RBI's while Giordano (2-for-4) and Magoon (2-for-3) also had multi-hit games while Jumalon scored three times.

The final game of the day saw Mary Washington (3-2) get on the scoreboard first following a RBI double in the top of the first inning.

Wilkes blew things open in the bottom of the second by batting around. Welker led off with a single to center and then moved to third when Giordano reached on an error. Staunton then walked and then Welker and Giordano scored when Brown reached on an error. Cabry stayed hot as she then singled to left to bring in Staunton. After Jordyn Kondras (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) walked, Jumalon knocked a two-run double to right to score Brown and Cabry. Kondras then scored to put Wilkes ahead 6-1 on a RBI groundout by Podlesney.

Podlesney then worked a 1-2-3 top of the third inning from inside the circle for the Colonels.

Mary Washington added one run in the top of the fifth but Wilkes answered with one of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Podlesney led off with a double and then Jaime Martin (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) entered to pinch run for her. Martin then reached third on a passed ball and would score on Giordano's groundout to shortstop to put Wilkes back ahead by five runs at 7-2.

Podlesney (1-1) then retired six of the last seven batters to seal the victory. The junior went all seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits while striking out six.

Jumalon and Brown each had two RBI's in the game to lead the way at the plate as the Colonels also scored four unearned runs.

The Colonels return to the field today (Thursday) for a doubleheader. Wilkes takes the field against Chatham University at 11:30 a.m. and finish the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic at 5:30 p.m. against Guilford College.