EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University softball team lost 4-2 in game one and 2-1 in game two during a Senior Day doubleheader in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play to visiting DeSales University Saturday afternoon at the Ralston Athletic Complex. The Colonels recognized Carly Endres (Vineland, NJ/Arthur P. Schalick), AJ Bryfogle (Easton, PA/Easton Area), and Nicole O'Rourke (Staten Island, NY/Susan E Wagner) on Senior Day.

Wilkes dropped to 18-14 overall and to 3-9 in the conference with the pair of losses while DeSales improved to 21-11 overall and 6-6 in the MAC Freedom.

In game one the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning using three singles. DeSales added two more runs in the top of the third on three hits and one Wilkes error to take a 4-0 lead.

The Colonels cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning. Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) led off with a double to right center. Hana Cross (South Brunswick, NJ/South Brunswick) then laid down a sacrifice bunt but ended up being safe at first on an error by the second baseman as Hayl. Calaman came in to score from second. Nicole Howell (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock Area) then singled to right field. A groundout by Sami Hendershott (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) advanced Cross to third and Howell to second before Hayden Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Cross to make it 4-2.

Wilkes worked the bases loaded with one out with singles from Bryfogle, Endres, and Hayl. Calaman but were unable to bring the runners across the plate in the bottom of the fifth. In the last at-bats in the seventh the Colonels had two singles but a double play and fly out ended the game 4-2 in favor of DeSales.

Hope Mullins (Midland, VA/Liberty) (2-6) started in the circle to take the loss as she allowed four runs on seven hits with one walk in 2.2 innings. Hendershott pitched the final 4.1 innings without allowing a run, hit or walk, with two strikeouts.

Rachel Lowry (11-4) earned the win with the complete game. She gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits and four strikeouts.

Bryfogle and Endres were 2-for-3 and Hayl. Calaman was 2-for-4 in game one.
 

In game two the Colonels took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning as Hannah Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Salma Lampack-Heverly (Quakertown, PA/Faith Christian Academy) pinch ran for Boyd and advanced to third on a fly out to left field by Howell. Kayla Burleson (West Chester, PA/B. Reed Henderson) then singled to right to bring in Lampack-Heverly for the 1-0 lead.

The Colonels took that lead into the top of the seventh looking for the final three outs. Two errors during the first two at-bats allowed the Bulldogs to have their first two batters reach base. A sacrifice bunt followed to move both runners up to second and third with one out. A single brought the first runner home and then a sacrifice fly plated the go-ahead run to make it 2-1 DeSales.

In the bottom of the seventh Endres reached on an error and O'Rourke singled to center field. Cross then advanced the runners to second and third as the second out with a sacrifice bunt but DeSales hung on for the 2-1 win on a fly out to center field to end the game.

Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) (7-4) pitched a strong game with 11 strikeouts but took the hard luck loss. She allowed two runs (zero earned) in the complete game with seven hits and two walks.

Alanna Hartzell (5-4) pitched the complete game for DeSales to earn the win. She allowed one run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Boyd, Burleson, and O'Rourke had one hit each in game two.

The Colonels host cross-town rival King's College on Wednesday at the Ralston Athletic Complex for a MAC Freedom doubleheader starting at 4:00 p.m.