APRIL 19, 2016

KING'S SOFTBALL SWEEPS WILKES

WILKES-BARRE -- The King's College softball team inched closer to securing a Freedom Conference Tournament berth as the visiting Monarchs posted a double-header sweep over cross-town rival Wilkes University.

King's, which won by scores of 6-3 and 7-4, improved to 18-12 overall and 7-3 in Freedom Conference play with four league games left. The wins also left King's in a three-way tie for second place with Misericordia and FDU-Florham. Wilkes, meanwhile, was officially eliminated from post-season play after falling to 7-19 and 2-8.

In the opener King's struck first when Kelcie Senchak reached base on an error and Amy Kowalczyk singled. Rachael DeTore would then step to the plate to deliver a three-run home run over the left-centerfield fence. It was DeTore's third round-tripper of the season.

The Monarchs added a run in the third when Kowalczyk singled and later scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Alizabeth Ellsworth.  King's built a 5-3 lead in the fifth when Senchak walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then scored on a single by DeTore.  

The Monarchs scored their final run in the sixth when Lexi Wolk singled and later scored from third on an infield grounder by Amber Saylor.

Senchak was the winning pitcher, scattering eight hits in seven innings while striking out three batters.

In the nightcap, King's took a 2-0 first inning lead when Saylor doubled and scored on a triple by Samantha Bloom. Two batters later Bloom scored on an infield grounder by Kowalczyk.

The score remained the same until the sixth inning when Wolk and Zina Knight singled and both scored in a double by Saylor.  Bloom then followed with a RBI single to push the Monarchs lead to 5-0. 

King's tacked on two more runs in the top-of-the-seventh inning when Ellsworth and Wolk both singled and scored on a double by Shelby Eby. Wilkes scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to set the final score.

Rachel Linso was the winning pitcher, allowing eight hits and four runs while striking out eight batters.

King's will next travel to Lancaster to face Franklin & Marshall College in a non-conference matchup on Thursday. The Monarchs will then host Misericordia in an important conference twin bill Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Betzler Complex.