NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Wilkes University Softball team swept a pair of games to close out its time at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic on Thursday at the NMB Sports Complex. The Colonels defeated Lancaster Bible College 9-1 in six innings in the first game and then bested Eastern Nazarene College 5-0 in the second game.

Wilkes closes the season-opening spring break trip with a 5-1 overall record. Lancaster Bible dropped to 1-4 with the loss the Colonels and Eastern Nazarene fell to 2-5.

The Colonels opened the first game against Lancaster Bible in the top of the first inning with Hana Cross (South Brunswick, NJ/South Brunswick) bunting and reaching on an error by the pitcher that allowed her to advance to third. Hannah Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) then laid down a sacrifice bunt for the RBI that allowed Cross to score to make it 1-0.

Wilkes strung together six hits in the second inning to score four more runs. Mia Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) and Taylor Douple (Fredericksburg, PA/Northern Lebanon) both reached on singles to center and then Sami Hendershott (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) singled to shortstop to load the bases. Cross then brought Butka in with an RBI single to left field. Boyd then doubled to left to bring in Douple and Hendershott while Cross was called out at the plate trying to score from first. Nicole Howell (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock Area) later drove in Boyd with a single to shortstop to make the score 5-0.

The Chargers scored one run in the bottom of the fourth as they used a walk, single, and error to make the score 5-1 after four innings.

In the sixth Wilkes got a one-out pinch-hit single by Kayla Burleson (West Chester, PA/B. Reed Henderson) to start a four-run rally. Douple then reached on an error as Burleson went to third. Hope Mullins (Midland, VA/Liberty) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cross then singled to left to being Burleson in as the bases stayed loaded. Boyd connected on a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Douple to score. Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) then hit a two-run double to left that allowed Mullins and Cross to score as the Colonels went ahead by eight runs at 9-1.

The Colonels worked a scoreless bottom half of the sixth on defense to end the game by the eight-run rule.

Hendershott (2-0) earned the win in the circle as she pitched 4.0 innings in the start. She allowed one run (zero earned) on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Mullins pitched the final 2.0 innings without allowing a run as she had two strikeouts and one walk.

Alyssa Hamilton (1-2) took the loss for Lancaster Bible as she pitched all 6.0 innings allowing nine runs (five earned) on 10 hits with two strikeouts.

Cross was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Boyd went 1-for-2 with four RBIs and one run to lead the Wilkes offense against the Chargers.

In the second game of the day Wilkes was able to get on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third inning against Eastern Nazarene. Victoria Butler (Mountain Top, PA/Crestwood) led off the inning by reaching on an error. With two outs, it was Cross that came up big at the plate with an RBI triple to left field that brought in Butler for the 1-0 lead.

Hayden Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) led off the fifth with a double and then Ayva Knowles (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) pinch ran for her. Then with two outs Evan Sherrick (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) reached on an error by the third baseman and Knowles came into score on the play to up the Colonels lead to 2-0. Cross then walked and Boyd singled to load the bases. Hayl. Calaman then singled down the third base line into left field allowing Sherrick and Cross to score. Howell then singled for an RBI to right as Boyd scored from second to make it 5-0.

From there the Wilkes pitching and defense combined to complete the shutout with a strong sixth and seventh inning.

Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) (1-0) started and pitched 6.0 scoreless innings as she allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out five Lions batters. Butka pitched the seventh inning scoreless, allowing just one hit.

Cayley McCurdy (0-2) took the loss for Eastern Nazarene. She pitched the first 4.2 innings allowing five runs (zero earned) on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Faith Bonar pitched the final 1.1 innings for the Lions without allowing a baserunner.

Hayl. Calaman led the offense with a 1-for-3 game and two RBIs while Cross added a 1-for-2 showing with a walk, one RBI, and one run scored.

Wilkes returns home from the spring break trip and is idle until Saturday, March 16 when the Colonels travel to Reading, Pa. to take on Penn State Berks in a doubleheader.