EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University softball team hit five home runs including four in game two as the Colonels swept Lancaster Bible College in a non-conference doubleheader that was the home opener for the team at the Ralston Athletic Complex Softball Field Friday evening. Wilkes won game one 10-6 and took game two 10-2 in five innings.

Wilkes improved to 7-3 overall with the pair of wins while Lancaster Bible dropped to 6-9. It was the third time the Colonels defeated the Chargers this season following a 9-1 win in six innings during the spring break trip in South Carolina.

The Chargers struck for three runs on five hits and one Wilkes error in the top of the first of game one.

Hana Cross (South Brunswick, NJ/South Brunswick) led off the bottom of the first with a double for the Colonels then scored when Hannah Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) reached on an error. Boyd later scored on a single up the middle by Olivia Dougher (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) to make the score 3-2.

Wilkes took the lead for good in the bottom of the second, scoring seven runs on seven hits. Victoria Butler (Mountain Top, PA/Crestwood) led off by reaching on a hit by pitch and went to second a single by Taylor Douple (Fredericksburg, PA/Northern Lebanon). Sami Hendershott (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) then singled up the middle to bring in Butler to tie the game at 3-3. After Cross walked, Boyd hit a two-run double to right center to bring in Douple and Hendershott. Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) then hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Cross to make it 6-3. Hayden Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) followed with a single to left field to bring Boyd across the plate. Dougher and Nicole Howell (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock Area) singled to load the bases before Hayd. Calaman was out at home when Butler reached on a fielder's choice. Douple then capped the scoring with a two-run single to left field that scored Dougher and Howell to make the score 9-3.

The Chargers scored two runs in the top of the third on one hit and two errors to cut the lead to 9-5.

Cross then led off the bottom of the third with a home run to left field for her third long ball of the season to make it 10-5.

In the top of the fourth Lancaster Bible scored one run using a hit by pitch, double, and sacrifice fly to make it 10-6.

From there neither team crossed the plate as Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) was able to retire nine of the 10 batters she faced over the final three innings to earn the win in the circle.

Hendershott pitched the first 3.0 innings allowing five runs (two earned) on six hits with no walks and two strikeouts. DeMarco (2-0) went 4.0 innings in relief allowing one run on two hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

Alyssa Hamilton (4-4) took the loss for Lancaster Bible as she pitched the first 2.0 innings allowing 10 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits with two walks. Riley Danko pitched the final 4.0 innings without allowing a run on five hits with two walks and one strikeout.

Douple was 4-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the offense. Boyd was 2-for-4 with two RBI's, Cross was 2-for-4 with one RBI and three runs scored, and Dougher was 2-for-4 with one RBI.

Game two started with a Hamilton lead off home run for Lancaster Bible.

Hayd. Calaman hit her first career home run over the center field fence to lead off the bottom of the second inning to tie the game. After a strikeout, Dougher went deep to left field for her first career home run to make it 2-1. Howell then singled and Evan Sherrick (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) walked, which set the stage for the Colonels third home run of the inning as Cross deposited one over the left field fence to make the score 5-1. It was her second home run of the day and fourth of the season.

Lancaster Bible used two doubles in the top of third to make the score 5-2.

Kayla Burleson (West Chester, PA/B. Reed Henderson) reached on a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the third then advanced to second on a wild pitch. She would score on a Dougher double to right center to make it 6-2.

In the bottom of the fourth Sherrick led off with a walk and Cross then singled. Following two fly outs, Mia Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) hit a three-run home run for her first career long ball with a deep shot to left field to make the score 9-2.

Dougher led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to right field and went to third on a groundout to second by Howell. Following a pitching change, Sherrick singled up the middle to bring in Dougher and give Wilkes the 10-2 win by the eight-run rule.

Butka (2-2) pitched all 5.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

Noelle Martin (2-2) took the loss as she pitched the first 2.0 innings allowing five runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout. Three other Changer pitchers combined for 2.1 innings allowing five runs on seven hits with one walk and no strikeouts.

Dougher was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Cross was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs. Butka went 1-for-3 with three RBIs.

The Colonels begin Landmark Conference play for their first season in their new league on Sunday with a road doubleheader at No. 16 Moravian University. Game one starts at 1:00 p.m.