EDWARDSVILLE – A three-run sixth inning rally in game one helped the Wilkes University softball team to a doubleheader split on senior day, defeating Lycoming College 4-3 in game one before dropping game two 6-4 in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) action on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Colonels now stand at 3-15 overall and 3-11 in league play.
 
Lycoming scored first in game one with a run in the top of the first.
 
Wilkes tied the score in the bottom of the fourth when Erin Cabry (York, PA/Central York) led off with a double to the gap in right center, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a single to center off the bat of Sarah Gibson (Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley).
 
The Warriors retook the lead in the top of the sixth with two unearned runs.
 
Cabry started the Colonels rally in the bottom of sixth with a double down the left field line and moved to third on a groundout. Gibson followed with a walk and was pinch-run for by Megan Marshall (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright). After Marshall stole second, Jessie Smith (Millersville, MD/Severna Park) followed with an infield single scoring Cabry and moving Marshall to third. Smith moved up to second on a wild pitch, and Hope Mullins (Midland, VA/Liberty) tied the score with a single that brought home Marshall and moved Smith to third. Haley Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) brought home Smith with a single through the right side to give Wilkes a lead it would not relinquish.
 
Lycoming got the tying run to third after an error and two sacrifice bunts, but Mullins was able to coax a groundout to finish the game.
 
Mullins improved to 2-2 with the win, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits over seven innings with no walks and six strikeouts.
 
Cabry led Wilkes at the plate, finishing game one 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Gibson went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Jordyn Kondras (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) was 2-for-4.
 
The Warriors started the scoring in game two with two runs in the top of the first.
 
The Colonels took the lead in the bottom of the first with three runs. Kondras led off with an infield single and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a lineout, Cabry doubled to right center scoring Kondras and Rachel Pritchard (Wilmington, DE/Concord) doubled to left-center scoring Cabry. After Pritchard moved to third on a wild pitch, Gibson reached on an infield single to put runners at first and third. Nicole O'Rourke (Staten Island, NY/Susan E Wagner) followed with a fly out to left, with the throw back to the infield by the left fielder getting away, allowing Pritchard to score and Gibson to move to second.
 
Wilkes increased its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the second when Haley Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) led off with her second career home run.
 
Lycoming took the lead for good in the top of the third with four runs on four hits and an error.
 
Pritchard took the defeat, allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 2.2 innings. Rhia Aurand (Avondale, PA/Avon Grove) tossed the final 4.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit with zero walks and four strikeouts.
 
Kondras (2-4, one run) and Cabry (2-4, one run, one RBI) led the way at the plate for the Colonels in game two.
 
Wilkes will close out the regular season tomorrow when it travels to Lycoming for a 1:00 p.m. MAC Freedom doubleheader.