ALLENTOWN, PA (March 18, 2019) – The King's College softball team earned a pair of victories today against Cedar Crest College. In the opener King's collected 15 runs on 18 hits and continued their streak of no in-game errors. In the second, the Monarchs scored seven runs off 13 hits with no errors. King's is now 5-6 in overall play while Cedar Crest drops to 2-7.
 
Game One: King's 15, Cedar Crest 7
  
In the circle for the Monarchs was sophomore Nicole Kirse who would take the win advancing her record to 1-3. Kirse pitched nine strikeouts and not one walk while allowing seven runs off 11 hits.  
 
Junior shortstop Mackenzie Yori topped the team going 4-for-5 in her at bats and scoring three runs. She also ran three batters in and stole one base while contributing three assists on the field. 
 
Yori grabbed the first run of the game after a double put her on base. Mindina Lieback would follow with a double of her own that sent Yori over home. A wild pitch set Lieback on third and in position to put King's on the board again. It was a double to right center by Gabriella Medina that pushed Kristi Ann Skok to third and Lieback to score all in the first inning.
 
A home run by the Falcons in the bottom of the third tied the game 2-2 until King's answered with six back-to-back runs of their own by Kirse, Lindsey Leppo, Monica Burda, Yori, Lieback and Taylor Norris. 
 
In the top of the sixth, Yori notched a bunt and a stolen base and would tally her third run of the game after another double by Lieback. Lieback registered the team's ninth run shortly after prompting the Falcons to head to the bullpen.
 
Medina pulled in Skok and Norris to cap her three RBIs and put the score to 12-5. The sophomore rounded home as Cedar Crest tagged Kirse at second for the inning's second out. Leppo reached first on a Falcons error and advanced to second as Burda went to third and eventually home on a passed ball. 
 
Leppo grabbed the last Monarch point in the first game thanks to a single by Yori. Cedar Crest would add two more runs to their count but it wouldn't be enough as King's would hold the Falcons at seven. 

Game Two: King's 6, Cedar Crest 5
 
Freshman Gianna Marsico made her second appearance as pitcher in game two, nabbing her second shutout of the season with five runs on 12 hits and one walk of the 33 batters faced. Marsico is now at a 2-0 pitching record.
 
Junior Yori would get the first run of the second game as well as she was batted in by none other than Leppo. Freshman Leppo followed suit with a run of her own as Norris hit a dinger to center field. 
 
The Monarchs would hold Cedar Crest at zero until the bottom of the second inning as the Falcons would slam their second homerun of the day getting on the board 2-1.
 
Cedar Crest took the lead in the third with a 3-2 score. Medina sent a single up the middle and would advance on another passed ball. A sacrifice bunt by Andria Narisi put the scoring play in motion as Medina charged third and Marisa Mauro took second. Marsico grounded out to third but not before Medina hit home to tie the game to 3-3. 
 
The Falcons answered with two runs in the fourth and Skok was pushed home as Narisi was hit by a pitch in the top of the fifth. 
 
King's hit their last three runs in the top of the sixth inning as Gabby Leary hit a homer with Skok and Norris on base adding three RBIs to her game highlights and solidifying a Monarch sweep. This is Leary's first homerun of the season and second in her career. 
 
The Monarchs return to play their home opener Thursday, March 21, against Lycoming College beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Betzler Field in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.