WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes University softball team split their doubleheader against the King's College Monarchs Wednesday afternoon by following up a 1-0 loss in game one with an 11-4 game two win.

The Colonels are now 19-15 this season, while the Monarchs move to 12-24.

Game 1: King's (Pa.) 1, Wilkes 0

This game was a pitchers duel between Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) of the Colonels and Madisyn vonFrisch of the Monarchs. After Wilkes went down 1-2-3 to start the game, the Monarchs immediately went to work in the bottom of the first.

Breanna Goldspiel singled with one out to start the rally, and then she advanced to second on a passed ball. She advanced to third after a Paige Bergan flyout, and then scored the only run of the game thanks to a throwing error by the Colonels. 

Wilkes had opportunities to score with runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, and sixth inning but came up empty on each chance. After surrendering the unearned run, DeMarco locked down the Monarchs as they never reached third base for the rest of the game.

She took the loss despite pitching a complete game with just five hits allowed and six strikeouts. vonFrisch got the win for King's with a complete game shutout of her own and allowing four hits. Samantha Petersen (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) was the only Wilkes player with multiple hits, going 2-3 with two singles. Goldspiel went 2-3 with two singles for the Monarchs as well.

Game 2: Wilkes 11, King's (Pa.) 4

Offense was much easier to come by in this game for both teams, but the Colonels struck first in the first inning. Ally Stafursky started the game with a double, and came in to score three batters later thanks to a Petersen RBI single to make it 1-0.

The Monarchs tied the game in the bottom of the second with a Madison Badali single, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single by Kara Krouse with two outs. Both teams went scoreless in the third, but a big fourth inning put Wilkes up for good.

Against Monarch starter Alyssa Fox, Victoria Butler (Mountain Top, PA/Crestwood) singled, Talia Piragas (Old Forge, PA/Old Forge) walked, and then Hana Cross (Kendall Park, NJ/South Brunswick) hit a three-run home run to center field with two outs to put Wilkes back in the lead 4-1.

The Colonels tacked on another two runs in the fifth with a Mia Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) solo home run and an RBI double by Olivia Dougher (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) to make it a four-run game, but the Monarchs fought back in the bottom half of the frame. They scored another three runs off Rinda to drive her off the mound and force Tessa Stafursky (Eynon, PA/Valley View) to enter the game in relief to get out of the jam.

With the Colonels leading 6-4 in the top of the sixth, Butka and Dougher brought home another two runs with clutch swings to make it 8-4, and then they scored another three runs in the top of the seventh to reach the final score.

Rinda got the win for Wilkes with four and two-thirds innings pitched, allowing four runs, five hits, four walks, and striking out three batters. Fox took the loss for King's with a final stat line of five and one-third innings pitched, seven runs allowed (five earned), 11 hits, and three strikeouts. 

Stafursky led the Colonels in hits by going 4-5 at the plate with three singles, a double, and three runs scored. Butka and Petersen each went 3-5 at the plate, and Cross led the team in RBIs with three. 

The Colonels travel to Catholic for their next doubleheader of the season. They'll take on the Cardinals on Saturday, April 25, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.