EDWARDSVILLE – Gracen Staunton (Kernersville, NC/Northwest Guilford) faced the minimum through six innings of game one while Rhiannon Aurand (Avondale, PA/Avon Grove) pitched well in both games as the Wilkes University softball team earned a doubleheader non-conference sweep of visiting Marywood University at the Ralston Athletic Complex Wednesday afternoon. The Colonels took game one by a 5-0 final and game two 7-6 following timely home runs from Gab Giordano (Moscow, PA/Holy Cross) and Caitlin Brown (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) that fueled a comeback.

Wilkes reached the 20-win mark for the third straight season following the sweep and stand at 20-13 overall. Marywood, out of the Atlantic East Conference, dropped to 14-18 overall.

Giordano led off the bottom of the first inning of game one with a single to left field and with one out moved to second on a wild pitch and then stole third. Erin Cabry (York, PA/Central York) then knocked an RBI-single up the middle to score Giordano and give Wilkes the early 1-0 lead.

A double by Giordano over the head of the leftfielder jump started the Colonels third inning with two outs. Brown then drove in Giordano with a base hit to center as Wilkes led 2-0 after three innings.

Wilkes added three more runs in the fourth inning. Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) reached on a one-out error and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Britny Jumalon (Torrance, CA/Torrance). The play moved Jumalon into a tie for the school record with Gibson for sacrifice hits with the 22nd of the sophomore's career. Haley Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) then entered to pinch run for Gibson and scored on Haley Welker's (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) double down the leftfield line. Jessie Smith (Millersville, MD/Severna Park) then singled to push Welker to third. Smith then stole second and Welker was able to swipe home on a throw down by the catcher. Jordyn Kondras (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) then singled up the middle to bring home Smith as Wilkes went up 5-0.

Marywood got its first baserunner of the game on a one-out hit in the top of the fifth but the next batter hit into a double play that was turned nicely by the middle infielders Giordano and Cabry over to Smith at first. Staunton then pitched a perfect sixth inning and exited facing the minimum of 18 batters. The junior improved to 8-5 on the season allowing just one hit with five strikeouts.

Aurand completed the combined shutout for Wilkes in game one as she pitched a scoreless seventh allowing one hit and striking out one.

Giordano finished game one going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Brown, Cabry, Welker and Kondras all had one hit and one RBI.

The Pacers put together a strong third inning of game two to grab a 5-0 lead. They scored their five runs on three hits and were helped by two walks. Aurand entered in relief of starter Celine Podlesney (Hazle Twp., PA/Hazleton) with one out in the frame and got the next two batters out with a fly out and strikeout.

Boyd led off the bottom of the third with a double to right field and advanced over to third on a single by Giordano. Giordano then got caught in a rundown trying to steal second but was able to make it back to first safely as Boyd came into score on a stolen base to put the Colonels on the board.

Wilkes completed the comeback in the fifth inning. Jumalon led off with a walk and Boyd followed with a single. Jaime Martin (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners ahead. Giordano followed with a three-run blast to left-center field as she connected on her sixth home run of the year. Brown then made it back-to-back home runs as she launched one over the fence in left for her third career home run and first of the season as the Colonels stormed back to tie the game at 5-5. Cabry then doubled to left center to force the Pacers starter from the game. Cabry then moved to third on a wild pitch by the new pitcher and scored on Aurand's RBI-groundout to give Wilkes a 6-5 lead.

Marywood would respond with one run on three hits in the top of the sixth to even the score at 6-6.

Jumalon led off the sixth for the Colonels with a single down the left field line. She then advanced to second a wild pitch before Martin sacrificed her to third with a bunt. Giordano then walked. She then attempted to steal second and the catcher's throw went off the shortstop's glove and into centerfield as Jumalon came into score the go-ahead run on the error as Wilkes led 7-6.

Aurand finished off Marywood in the top of the seventh as she earned the victory to improve to 5-3 this season. The freshman entered in relief and went 4.2 innings allowing one run on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Giordano finished 2-for-3 with three RBI's, one run and a walk. Brown went 2-for-4 including her home run and Boyd also had two hits as she went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Wilkes returns to the Ralston Athletic Complex tomorrow to face Delaware Valley University in an important Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom doubleheader starting at 3:30 p.m.