EDWARDSVILLE –  Sunny skies and beautiful weather greeted the Wilkes University softball squad as they opened their season at the Ralston Athletic Complex.  They played host to Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom rival Arcadia in a home doubleheader.
 
The Colonels (1-1) dropped the first game 8-4 before coming back with a 5-3 victory in the nightcap to split the doubleheader with Arcadia (5-1, 3-1 MACF).
 
In the first game, the Colonels started senior Rachel Pritchard (Wilmington, DE/Concord).  After getting a runner on with a single down the first base line, the Knights hit a two-run home run in the top of the first to snag an early lead.  Senior outfielder Jordyn Kondras (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) walked on base after a 3-2 run, and advanced to second off of first-year infielder Hayden Calaman's (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) bunt to put two on for the Colonels with no outs.  A single from Pritchard loaded the bases for the Colonels with one out.   Junior infielder Emma Stauffer (Media, PA/Penncrest) faced a full count with two outs and walked in the Colonels first run of the game, and senior catcher Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley) walked to tie the game 2-2 through one.
 
The Knights had runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the second and brought both runners home with a double down the left field line, followed by a two-run home run to take a 6-2 lead.  Gibson saved a run at home with a tag out to end the inning.  A single and a walk gave the Colonels runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the second.  A Pritchard double brought both runners home to make it a 6-4 game after two.
 
The Knights started with runners on second and third with no outs in the top of the third, before a short pop out preceded a long fly-out with a throw out at home to get the Colonels out of a jam.  Arcadia threatened again in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with two outs.  A groundout ended the threat and left the Colonels within two of the Knights heading into the second half of the game.  After a scoreless bottom of the fourth, Pritchard caught a hit and threw out a runner at first for a double play to get out of the top of the fifth.  She hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame and advanced to third but was stranded.
 
Arcadia extended their lead with a single up the middle with two outs in the top of the sixth and tacked on another with an error to take an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth.  The Colonels failed to overcome the deficit and fell in the first game.
 
The Colonels sent out junior pitcher Rhia Aurand (Avondale, PA/Avon Grove) to start the second game of the doubleheader.   The Colonels defense put together a three up three down first inning to start the nightcap.  Kondras let off the Colonels bats with a double to left field in the bottom of the first and took third on a wild pitch.   After a walk and a stolen base gave the Colonels runners on second and third with no outs, a wild pitch let Kondras score the first run of the second game.   A single up the middle from Pritchard made it 2-0 Colonels with no outs.   Another walk loaded the bases for the Colonels with a single out and forced the Knights starting pitcher out of the game.   A deep double to center from Calaman brought home two more Colonels for a 4-0 lead after one inning.
 
After the Knights advanced a runner to third with one out in the top of the second, Aurand caused the next two batters to ground out to end the threat.   The Colonels went three and out in the bottom of the frame.   Arcadia put runners on first and second with a lone out in the top of the third, and a single up the middle brought in the Knights first run of the night game, and a bunt gave Arcadia two runners in scoring position.   Arcadia brought in the two base runners to make it a 4-3 game after the top of the third.   An error brought in a run for the Colonels in the bottom of the third, but the Knights threw a strikeout to get out of a bases loaded jam to finish the third. 
 
The bats went quiet as the two teams exchanged three and outs in the fourth and got six outs in seven batters in the fifth.  Aurand pitched another three up three down inning in the sixth, while the Colonels left two stranded in the bottom of the frame.  The Colonels finished the game with a three and out inning to take home a 5-3 victory for the second game.
 
Aurand pitched a complete game four hitter in the night victory against Arcadia, throwing two strikeouts and allowing four hits.  Pritchard hit 4-8 in the two games, batting in three runs and hitting two doubles.   Calaman hit .500 (3-6) as well, with a double and a pair of runs batted in.   Three Colonels accounted for two runs each across both games.
 
The Colonels continue their 2021 campaign as they host cross-town rival King's for a four-game series this weekend.  The Colonels host King's for a Saturday doubleheader at Ralston Athletic Complex scheduled for 1:00 p.m., before traveling crosstown to King's for a Sunday doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.