EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University softball team swept visiting Albright College in non-conference action Sunday at the Ralston Athletic Complex. Wilkes won game one 6-2 and took game two 8-0 in five innings behind a complete game shutout and near perfect game for Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun).

Wilkes improved to 14-4 overall and are off to their best start to a season since also being 14-4 in 2017. Albright dropped to 2-12 overall.

The Colonels started the scoring in game one with one run in the bottom of the first as Hana Cross (South Brunswick, NJ/South Brunswick) led off with a double to left field. She advanced to second on Hannah Boyd's (Escalon, CA/Escalon) single to left but Boyd was out at second trying to advance. Cross then scored when Olivia Dougher (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) reached on an error by the left fielder to make it 1-0.

In the bottom of the second Nicole O'Rourke (Staten Island, NY/Susan E Wagner) singled to right field as the leadoff hitter and moved to second on a Carly Endres (Vineland, NJ/Arthur P. Schalick) single to shortstop. Both runners moved ahead a base with a wild pitch and then scored with two outs on a two-run single to left by Boyd to make it 3-0 Colonels.

The Colonels added three runs on two hits and two errors in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-0 lead. Taylor Douple (Fredericksburg, PA/Northern Lebanon) reached on an error by the first baseman then Cross single with a bunt. Dougher reached with one out on an error by the second baseman to load the bases. Nicole Howell (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock Area) then hit a two-run single up the middle and advanced to second on the throw to bring in Douple and Cross. Hayden Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Dougher and make it 6-0.

The Lions scored two runs using four walks and a hit by pitch in the top of the fifth to get on the board. Sami Hendershott (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) entered with two outs and the bases loaded and was able to get the final out of the inning with a Lions batter looking at a third strike call.

Hendershott pitched the next two innings as well allowing just one hit as she totaled 2.1 shutout innings to earn her first career save.

Emily Murphy (Philadelphia, PA/St. Hubert Catholic) (1-1) started in the circle and went 4.2 innings allowing two runs on three hits with seven walks and one strikeout to record her first career win.

Kathryn Baptiste (0-4) went 2.0 innings allowing three runs on six hits with one strikeout. Jadelyn Van Winkle pitched the final four innings allowing three unearned runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Boyd was 2-for-3 with two RBI's and Howell was 2-for-4 with two RBI's to lead the Colonels offense. Cross went 2-for-4 with two runs.

DeMarco struck out the side in the top of the second inning of game two. Wilkes scored first in the bottom of the third as Cross singled then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Boyd. Dougher then hit an RBI single up the middle to bring in Cross from second to make it 1-0. Howell then singled to left field and Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) would double to right center to bring in Dougher and Howell and increase the lead to 3-0.

Marissa Pick (Watsontown, PA/Warrior Run) walked in the bottom of the fourth then Carly Endres (Vineland, NJ/Arthur P. Schalick) singled to left field. After a pitching change Wilkes strung together five straight hits. Cross singled to left but Pick was out at third. Boyd then singled to left to load the bases. Dougher hit a single into center to bring in both Endres and Cross. Howell then singled to left as Boyd scored. Hayl. Calaman then hit a double to right field as Dougher and Howell scored to make it 8-0.

DeMarco (5-1) allowed the only hit of the game with two outs in the fifth as she finished with the five inning complete game shutout with seven strikeouts.

Van Winkle (1-6) took the loss as she started and went 3.1 innings allowing four runs on seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Kaitlyn Aasheim went 0.2 innings in relief as she allowed four runs on five hits.

Hayl. Calaman was 3-for-3 with four RBI's and Dougher was 3-for-3 with three RBI's as they came up with the big run-scoring hits. Cross was 2-for-3 with two runs and Howell was 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs.

The Colonels continue their home stand with a doubleheader against Elizabethtown College on Wednesday at the Ralston Athletic Complex with first pitch of game one scheduled for 3:00 p.m.