WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Wilkes women's softball team split their Landmark Conference doubleheader at Lycoming College on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, helped in part by a three-run blast by Hana Cross (South Brunswick, NJ/South Brunswick) in the day's second contest. Wilkes lost the first game 4-3 in extra innings and responded with a 4-1 victory in game two.

The Colonels finished the day with an 11-9 overall record and a 2-4 record in Landmark play. Lycoming ended at 12-7 overall with a 5-3 record against conference opponents.

Wilkes drew first blood in game one, as Hayden Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) scored on a wild pitch in the top of the second inning. The Warriors then equalized in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI double to make it a 1-1 game.

The Colonels re-established their lead in the top of the fifth, as Cross reached third on a throwing error off an Evan Sherrick (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) sacrifice bunt and scored as the Warriors got Sherrick out at second to make it 2-1. Lycoming once again responded in their half of the fifth to tie the game at two.

Both defenses held firm through regulation, forcing extra innings with the game still deadlocked. Wilkes finally broke through in the 10^th inning with a sacrifice fly by Kayla Burleson (West Chester, PA/B. Reed Henderson) that scored Sherrick, giving the Colonels a 3-2 lead. Lycoming once again matched the Colonels with an RBI single to right center and took the victory with an RBI groundout in the very next at bat to win 4-3.

Hope Mullins (Midland, VA/Liberty) (1-3) was credited with the loss, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. Sami Hendershott (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) started the game on the mound for the Colonels, pitching six innings allowing two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Both Burleson and Hannah Boyd (Escalon, CA/Escalon) finished the game 2-for-4 from the plate, with the lone RBI of the day going to Burleson.

Kylie Russell (7-2) earned the win for Lycoming, pitching five innings allowing one unearned run on three hits with six strikeouts. Avery Eiswerth pitched the first five innings of the contest, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with six strikeouts as well. Rachel Daub led the Warriors offensive efforts going 2-for-4 from the plate with one RBI.

Game two remained scoreless until the fifth inning, as Burleson doubled through the left side to bring home Cross. In the next inning, Cross drove home three more runs with a three-run homer to left field, her sixth of the year, to make it 4-0.

The Warriors scored one run in the seventh inning, but the Colonels took the victory in game two behind a great outing by Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) (4-2), who earned the decision pitching a complete game and only allowing one earned run on six hits with six strikeouts. At the plate, Cross went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Boyd was the only other Colonel with multiple hits in the game going 2-for-4.

Cathryn Brought (0-1) was given the decision for Lycoming, allowing one earned run on three hits through five innings with two strikeouts. Eiswerth pitched two innings allowing three earned runs on four hits with one strikeout. Kylie Seagraves led the Warriors offense going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

The Colonels continue their road trip on Saturday, April 13^th as they travel to take on Catholic University for a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.