MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Wilkes University softball team split a pair of game son its final day of its spring break trip in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Friday. Wilkes opened the day with an 11-3 victory in five innings against Penn State Abington before falling 11-5 against Thiel College in its finale.
 
Wilkes finished the trip with a 4-2 overall record following the split.
 
In game one against Penn State Abington, Wilkes wasted little time crossing home plate as the Colonels raced out to a 4-0 lead after its first at-bats. Emma Stauffer (Media, PA/Penncrest) began the scoring with an RBI single to center scoring Erin Cabry (York, PA/Central York). One batter later Jessie Smith (Millersville, MD/Severna Park) cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right field as Wilkes used five hits to do its damage in the frame
 
Abington answered back in the bottom of the inning using its own two-run triple to plate two runs and cut the advantage to 5-2 after one inning of play.
 
Nicole Howell (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock Area) continued the Colonels hot bats knocking an RBI single through the left side to score Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) to up the lead to 6-2. Howell and Stauffer later came around to cross the plate after a wild pitch and throwing error by the Abington catcher as Wilkes led 8-2.
 
Abington added one run in the bottom of the second before three more Colonel runs put the game out of reach. A bases-loaded walk followed by Stauffer's second RBI hit of the day finished off the Wilkes scoring and put the Colonels ahead by eight runs entering the bottom of the third.
 
Sami Hendershot started and went three innings for the win in the circle allowing four hits and three runs before being relieved by Rachel Pritchard (Wilmington, DE/Concord) who pitched the final two innings keeping Abington scoreless scattering three hits.
 
Stauffer led eight Colonels who reached safely with hits finishing 3-for-3 with two RBI's an two runs scored.
 
In game two of the day, Thiel and Wilkes went scoreless over the first two innings before the teams traded runs over the third frame. Thiel opened the scoring with one run in the top of the third using an RBI single to right field to plated the runner. Wilkes responded in the bottom of the frame as Hayden Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) singled to center field scoring Cabry to tie the game at one.
 
After Thiel took its second lead of the game scoring on run in the top of the fourth, Wilkes responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at two. Stauffer flied out to center field scoring Cabry on the sacrifice.
 
Wilkes then took its first lead of the contest in the bottom of the fifth as Howell connected on a two-run single to put the Colonels ahead 4-2.
 
Thiel fought back over the next two at-bats tying and taking the lead in the top of the sixth using six hits to plate eight runs to break open the game leading 10-4.
 
Both teams plated one run in the seventh inning with Wilkes' courtesy of a Tinsley Sarnak (Exeter, PA/Wyoming Area) RBI double to center field.
 
Peters started and went five innings allowing seven hits and two runs suffering the loss. Emily Murphy (Philadelphia, PA/St. Hubert Catholic) relieved Peters with no outs in the eight-run sixth. Hope Mullins (Midland, VA/Liberty) finished off the game pitching the final inning allowing one run on two hits.
 
Cabry, Calaman and Nicole O'Rourke (Staten Island, NY/Susan E Wagner) each finished with two hits to lead the Colonels hitters.
 
Wilkes will return home and begin MAC Freedom play on Saturday, March 19 when the Colonels travel to Center Valley, Pa. for a doubleheader against DeSales University.