APRIL 6, 2013

KING'S SOFTBALL SPLITS FREEDOM DOUBLEHEADER WITH EASTERN

WILKES-BARRE -- Katie Kowalski drove in the game-winning run on a two-out single in the sixth inning as the King's College softball team won the second game of its Freedom Conference doubleheader Saturday with visiting Eastern University by a 4-3 count. Eastern won the opener 8-6.

With the split, King's stands at 19-3 overall and 7-1 in Freedom Conference play. Eastern, meanwhile, is 7-15 and 1-7.

With the game tied at 3-3 in the bottom-of-the-sixth inning, King's freshman Amy Kowalczyk stroked a leadoff triple to left-centerfield. After two outs, Kowalski ripped a hard ground ball up the middle which caromed off the outstretched arm of Eastern pitcher Janelle Fair, the returning Freedom Conference "Pitcher of the Year" to bring home the deciding run.

Kowalczyk finished the game 2-for-3 and scored twice while Kowalski was 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a two-run single in the fourth inning.

Annie Erndl scattered six hits and struck out 11 batters in the game to earn the win. Jenn Harnischfeger and Amanda Cardone had one hit each and teamed up to thwart Eastern on a potential game-tying play in the seventh.

With runners at second and third with one out, Eastern's Kasey Williams hit a hard grounder to Harnischfeger in the hole between second and third base. King's junior shortstop made a back-hand catch and promptly made an accurate throw to Cardone, who blocked home plate to make the tag. The Lady Monarchs then recorded the final out on the next play to end the game.

In the opener, King's took a 2-0 lead in the third on the strength of a RBI double by Erin Beane.

But Eastern scored three runs in the fourth and sixth inning before tacking on two more in the seventh to build a 8-2 lead. King's mounted a comeback, keyed by a RBI sacrifice fly by Beane and a three-run Maggie Gola to cut the lead to 8-6. But Fair retired the final two batters to end the game.

Beane was for-4 four with two runs while Cardone went 2-for-3 with a RBI. Harnischfeger was 1-for-4 with two runs while Kowalczyk added a double.

King's returns to action Tuesday with a doubleheader at Baptist Bible College.