Wilkes Softball Locks up No. 5 Seed with Susquehanna Split
EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. – The Wilkes University softball team hosted their regular-season finale at the Ralston Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon, splitting the day's doubleheader with the River Hawks and securing the No. 5 seed in the Landmark Conference Tournament.
Wilkes finishes the regular season with a 21-17 overall record and 8-8 mark in Landmark play, while Susquehanna finishes 14-23 overall and 8-8 in Landmark play.
Game One – Susquehanna 5, Wilkes 2
The Colonels opened the day hot, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. After a leadoff triple by
Allyson Stafursky (Eynon, PA/Valley View),
Maddy Maloney (Scranton, PA/Lackawanna College) drove her home with an RBI single to center.
Olivia Dougher (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) then brought home Maloney with a single to right, giving the Colonels the early advantage.
After three scoreless innings, Susquehanna's Sydney Perez tied the game with a two-run homer in the top of the fifth. The River Hawks then took the lead in the sixth on a double to center field and added another two-run homer in the seventh to take a 5-2 win.
Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) (8-7) pitched a complete game in defeat, allowing five runs on 11 hits. Despite the loss, the senior eclipsed 300 career strikeouts on the day and sits third all-time in strikeouts with 301 and counting. At the plate, Stafursky and Dougher led the way with multi-hit outings.
Brianna Jones (7-2) pitched a complete game of her own, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with ten strikeouts. Stevie Shaak led the offense with three hits, one of five River Hawks to post a multi-hit game.
Game Two – Wilkes 6, Susquehanna 5
Wilkes started game two much like they did game one, striking in the bottom of the first. Consecutive singles by the first three batters loaded the bases, and
Mia Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) cleared them with a triple to right field. In the next at-bat,
Talia Piragas (Old Forge, PA/Old Forge) brought home Butka as she reached on an error to give Wilkes the 4-0 lead.
In the second inning, Wilkes added another run as
Hana Cross (Kendall Park, NJ/South Brunswick) reached home after Stafursky was caught stealing at second.
Susquehanna got on the board in the top of the third, as Isabella Sulesky scored on a double play. Sulesky made it three unanswered in the top of the fourth with a two-RBI single up the middle to bring the River Hawks within two 5-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Cross gave the Colonels an insurance run with a solo shot to left field, and one that proved to be crucial as the River Hawks added two more in the top of the seventh. A diving catch by
Julia Kapitula (Mount Olive, NJ/Mount Olive) stopped the damage and gave the Colonels the win.
Butka (6-3) pitched the victory for Wilkes, allowing five runs (two earned) on ten hits with four strikeouts. Butka also did damage at the plate, one of four Colonels with multiple hits in the game and a team-high three RBIs.
Piper Wright (3-6) was given the loss for the River Hawks, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits through four innings. Sulesky led the team at the plate with two hits and two RBIs.
Wilkes falls to the five seed thanks to a three-way tie with Drew and Susquehanna, finishing 1-3 against the Rangers and River Hawks in the regular season. The Colonels now hit the road to play Susquehanna on Tuesday, May 5 in the Landmark Tournament First Round at 3:00 p.m.
