MARCH 24, 2016

KING'S SOFTBALL TEAM SWEEPS DESALES IN FREEDOM CONFERENCE MATCHUP

WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College softball team picked up a pair of important Freedom Conference victories on Thursday with a doubleheader sweep of visiting DeSales University in the Betzler Athletic Complex.

The Monarchs (9-9, 2-2 Freedom) won the first game 10-2 in six innings and then captured the nightcap 15-3 in five innings. DeSales, the defending conference champion, slipped to 2-9 and 0-4.

In the opener DeSales took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, then added a second run in the top-of-the-fifth. But King's scored five in the bottom of the frame before adding five more in the sixth to invoke the eight-run mercy rule. 

Brianna DiMaggio was 3-for-4 with two runs scored while Samantha Bloom went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Amy Kowalczyk finished 3-for-4 with a three-run double. Alizabeth Ellsworth was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and solo home run in the sixth inning.  

Rachel Linso (4-5) was the winning pitcher, scattering eight hits while allowing two earned runs while striking out three batters.

In the nightcap, King's scored two runs in the first and second innings to hold a 4-1 advantage. But the Monarchs then blew the game open with seven in the third and four more in the fourth.

Nicole Turner was 3-for-3 with four RBI, including a two-run triple and two-run double. Rachael DeTore finished 2-for-3 with a three-run double. Kelcie Senchak went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, a RBI triple and a three-run double. Samantha Bloom was 1-for-3 with two RBI while Lexi Wolk and DiMaggio added one RBI apiece.  Amber Saylor was 1-for-2 and scored two runs. 

Bloom (3-4) was the winning pitcher yielding three hits and three runs with five strikeouts in five innings of work.

King's will be idle for Easter Break until April 2 when the Monarchs host Conference rival Delaware Valley at 1:00 p.m.