APRIL 6, 2010
KING'S SOFTBALL POSTS IMPORTANT SWEEP OF MISERICORDIA
WILKES-BARRE -- In a matchup of two pre-season favorites within the Freedom Conference, the King's College softball team posted an important doubleheader sweep of visiting Misericordia University Tuesday in the Betzler Athletic Complex.
With the sweep, King's, the defending Freedom Conference Tournament champion, improved to 9-9 overall and 4-2 in league play. Misericordia, the 2009 Freedom Conference regular-season winner, slipped to 9-8 and 3-3 in conference games.
In the opener, Misericordia took a 2-0 lead, capitalizing on two King's errors and utilizing an RBI single by Caitlin Cromley. The Lady Monarchs tied the score up in the fourth inning when Samantha Hornberger walked and Annie Erndl singled. Kayla Rutkoski followed with a two-run double to knot the game at 2-2.
The Cougars took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Nicole Wenner doubled and scored on a double by Cromley. King's tied the score in the bottom of the seventh inning when Meaghan Galvin drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a bunt by Gretchen Tholen, and scored following a single by Lindsey Hoerner,
After a scoreless eighth, King's pushed across the winning run when Galvin singled and advanced to second on another Tholen bunt. After consecutive walks to Hoerner and Christie Parfitt loaded the bases with two outs, Katie Fry singled in Galvin with the winning run.
Galvin led King's with two hits while Hoerner tossed a nine-inning five-hitter, striking out four batters. Cromley led the Cougars with a 3-for-4 effort. Kat Lucenti took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out six batters and issuing seven walks.
The second game saw both teams combined for seven errors. King's took a 3-0 lead in the second inning, thanks in part to three Misericordia errors and an RBI single by Galvin. Misericordia tied the score with three runs in the top of the fourth inning, aided by two King's errors. Jennifer Cory contributed an RBI single for the Cougars.
King's put the game away with six runs coming in the bottom of the fourth inning, all coming following a two-out Misericordia error. Parfitt had an RBI single while Hornberger had a run-scoring single, while Fry came up with a two-run double to power the attack.
The Cougars added a run in the sixth when Gina Urbon reached base on a fielder's choice and later scored on an infield grounder out by Hollie Sarnak.
King's had eight hits in the game, paced by two hits each from Galvin, Tholen, and Hornberger. Erndl picked up the pitching decision, allowing four runs, one earned, on 11 hits with eight strikeouts.
Misericordia had 11 hits, paced by Sarnak, Nicole Boccia, and Amanda Pohala with two hits apiece. Lucenti started the second game as well and took the loss, yielding nine runs, none which were earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts in three and two-thirds innings.
King's returns to action Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader against Delaware Valley College at the Betzler Complex.
