EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – The Wilkes softball team fought for two incredible come from behind victories against the University of Scranton at the Ralston Athletic Complex on Thursday, walking off both games in the bottom of the seventh inning to take two in Landmark Conference action. Wilkes won game one by a score of 8-7, and game two 2-1.

Wilkes improve to 16-10 overall with a 5-5 record in Landmark play. Scranton fall to 16-12 with a 2-8 record against conference opponents.

Scranton started game one hot, rattling off four runs in the first inning of play, and adding one more in the second to take a 5-0 lead. The Colonel offense found its rhythm in the bottom of the fifth with a seven-run scoring frenzy to take the lead.

Mia Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) put Wilkes on the board with a two-run home run to center field, her first career collegiate homer. Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) reached home on a fielding error to make it a 5-3 game, before Kayla Burleson (West Chester, PA/B. Reed Henderson) launched a ball over the left field fence to bring home three runs and take a 6-5 lead with her first collegiate home run as well. Then, Julia Kapitula (Budd Lake, NJ/Mount Olive) hit a pinch-hit home run off the light pole in right center field, completing a trio of inaugural home runs and making it a 7-5 game.

The Royals responded with a two-run home run of their own to tie the game at seven, but in the bottom of the eighth Burleson singled down the left field side to score Ayva Knowles (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) and walk the game off with an 8-7 win.

Burleson led the Colonel offense with a perfect game at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs. Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) (7-1) picked up the win with 1.2 innings of relief pitched without giving up a single baserunner and one strikeout.

Soleil Dooner led the Scranton offense going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one of three Royals with two-RBI games. She also allowed four earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings, but it was Samantha Shaw (1-1) who was given the decision, allowing four runs (two earned) on two hits with one strikeout.

Game two didn't see offensive fireworks from the beginning like before, with the game remaining scoreless until the fifth inning where the Royals broke through with an RBI single to right field. They would hold that one-run lead until the bottom of the seventh.

Down to their last out with the bases loaded, Butka doubled to left field, driving home two runs to take the victory at the last possible moment. The first year led the Colonels from the plate in game two, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. DeMarco (8-1) continued her momentum from game one with a complete game effort allowing one run on five hits with five strikeouts.

Juliana Janezic (5-4) pitched a complete game of her own, allowing two runs (unearned) on six hits with four strikeouts through 6.2 innings for Scranton. Celia Totaro was the only Royal with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3. Alexa Bruno was 1-for-1 pinch hitting with the team's lone RBI.

The Colonels wrap up a three-series home stand in their next outing on Saturday, April 20 as they welcome Elizabethtown College to the Ralston Athletic Complex for a Landmark Conference clash. First pitch for game one of that doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.