WILKES-BARRE – Hana Cross' (South Brunswick, NJ/South Brunswick) record-tying three home run game one helped the Wilkes softball team to a non-conference sweep at Betzler Field on Wednesday afternoon. Wilkes won game one by a 10-4 score and came from behind to win game two 4-2.

With the sweep, the Colonels improve to 21-11 on the year and have won 10 of their last 12 games, while King's fall to 12-19 overall.

Cross started game one taking the first pitch of the day deep to left field for her eighth home run of the season. Later in the inning, Hayden Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) brought home her sister Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) with a double down the left field line to double the Colonel lead to 2-0.

King's leveled the game with two runs in the third inning, but Cross once again gave the Colonels the lead in the fifth inning with her second home run of the day to make it a 3-2 game. Kayla Burleson (West Chester, PA/B. Reed Henderson) added to the lead with a double to right center field that brought home Olivia Dougher (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) and Mia Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) to increase the lead to 5-2.

With the bases loaded in the sixth inning, Hayl. Calaman walked to bring in one run, and Hayd. Calaman did the same in the next at bat with a single down the third base line to bring the lead to 7-2.
In the seventh, Cross mashed her third home run of the game, a three-run blast, tying the program's single-game home run record and giving Wilkes a 10-2 lead. The Monarchs scored two in their half of the final inning, but Wilkes' defense stopped any hopes of a comeback and won the first game 10-4.

Cross went 3-for-4 to lead the Colonel offense, picking up five RBIs in her historic performance. Hayd. Calaman went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs, while Burleson added two RBIs of her own.

On the mound, Sami Hendershott (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) (7-1) picked up the win allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with one strikeout through four innings. Hope Mullins (Midland, VA/Liberty) pitched the final three innings allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits with two strikeouts.

Courtney Grogan (1-5) was given the loss for King's, allowing five earned runs on eight hits through four innings. Offensively, Emily Novicki led the team going 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
King's responded to the loss by scoring first in game two, reaching home on an error in the bottom of the second inning.

The game went scoreless until the seventh inning, where Cross continued her monstrous day at the plate with her fourth home run to tie the game at one. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Hayl. Calaman hit a double to right center that cleared the bags and gave the Colonels a 4-1 lead.

King's would get one more run back in their half of the seventh, but the comeback was complete and Wilkes took the game 4-2.

Seven Colonels had hits in the game, while Hayl. Calaman led the team with three RBIs. On the mound, Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) pitched a complete-game effort allowing two runs (unearned) on four hits with three strikeouts to pick up her tenth win of the season and move to 10-1.

Novicki (5-6) pitched a complete-game effort as well but was given the loss, allowing four runs (one earned) on seven hits with nine strikeouts. Nina Anzalone led the team's offense as the only player with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 at the plate.

The Colonels return to the Ralston Athletic Complex for their next matchup, a Landmark Conference doubleheader with Susquehanna University on Saturday, April 27. First pitch for game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.