EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – A 13-1 victory in five innings helped the Wilkes University softball team to a split against Penn State Harrisburg on Tuesday night, winning game two of the team's first doubleheader at the Ralston Athletic Complex.

Wilkes finishes the night 9-3, while Harrisburg improves to 7-3.

The Colonels opened the scoring in game one, as Olivia Dougher's (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) single with the bases loaded brought home Allyson Stafursky (Eynon, PA/Valley View) for the first run of the game. Two batters later, Mia Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) was hit by a pitch to walk in Samantha Petersen (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) to extend the Colonel lead.

After the Nittany Lions added one in the second, Butka's sacrifice fly brought the Colonel lead back to two runs as she plated Petersen. Once again PSU Harrisburg cut into the lead with another run in the fourth, before Hana Cross (Kendall Park, NJ/South Brunswick) made it 4-2 scoring on a wild pitch.

The Nittany Lions took control of the game in the top of the sixth, scoring one on a single to right field and then taking a 6-4 lead on a three-run Lillian Feltenberger home run to right field. Dougher added one more Colonel run in the sixth with a single to center field, but fell to the visitors 8-5.

Butka (2-1) took the loss in a complete-game pitching effort, giving up eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits with four strikeouts. At the plate, Dougher led the Colonels going 3-4 with two RBIs. Cross also had a multi-hit game to start the doubleheader going 2-4.

Allyson Leidy (2-0) was the winning pitcher for the Nittany Lions, with Megan Foltz picking up her fourth save of the season. Feltenberger went 3-3 at the plate with five RBIs.

The Colonels responded emphatically in game two, scoring seven runs with two outs in the first inning.

After Emily Cutman gave the Lions the lead in the top of the first, Dougher tied the game with a double to plate Paige Randazzo (Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg). In the next at bat, Talia Piragas (Old Forge, PA/Old Forge) cleared the bags with a two-run double, followed by a Butka single to bring home Piragas and make it 4-1 Colonels. Cross continued the rally with a single to left field, finished off by a two-run single to left center by Maddy Maloney (Scranton, PA/Lackawanna College) to make it 7-1 Wilkes.

With the bases loaded in the second, Butka blasted a grand slam to left center to make it 11-1, and Piragas finished off the Lions with a two-run single in the third. Wilkes ended the game via mercy rule in five innings.

Tessa Stafursky (Eynon, PA/Valley View) (1-0) picked up her first win of the season allowing just one run on seven hits. Petersen and Piragas were a perfect 3-3 at the plate in game two, with Butka just behind going 2-3. Piragas and Butka were responsible for nine RBIs.

Foltz (2-1) was handed the loss, allowing six runs on five hits. Cutman had the team's lone RBI as seven different players recorded a hit.

Wilkes returns to action on Saturday, March 28^th as they travel to face Drew University in Landmark Conference action. First pitch of game one against the Rangers is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.