DALLAS, PA (April 17, 2021) -- The King's College softball team combined for 24 hits in the doubleheader, but the host Misericordia University Cougars seemed to always have an answer, as the Monarchs dropped both in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader Saturday afternoon in Dallas, PA. King's drops to 13-9 for the 2021 season with just one MAC Freedom doubleheader left before playoffs are seeded next week.
Game 1 (L, 2-6):
King's struck first on the day, plating a run on an RBI single to left center from junior
Kristi Ann Skok to score sophomore
Bailey Loyack in the opening inning of play. Misericordia responded in the bottom of the first, tying the game on an RBI double to left center from Megan Fenstermaker.
The Monarchs regained the lead in the top of the third, as they recorded their final run of the game on a solo home run from senior
Mindina Lieback, her third of the season, taking a 2-1 lead. Again, the Cougars had an answer in the bottom of the inning, adding two runs on a two-RBI double from Alexa McHugh. Misericordia added another two runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the win in game one, 6-2, over the Monarchs.
Skok and Briggs paced the Monarchs offense, both going 2-for-3, with Skok adding an RBI. Graduate student
Kris Kocher recorded the loss on the mound, pitching all six innings of action, giving up just eight hits, and striking out three.
Zariah Alvin and Fenstermaker led Misericordia, adding their own 2-for-3 efforts at the plate, as Alvin added two doubles and Fenstermaker tallied one. Alexa McHugh remained unbeaten in the circle as she earned the win going the distance for the Cougars.
Game 2 (L, 12-15):
The second game of the doubleheader was a marathon that saw the teams combine for 27 runs on 29 hits. Sophomore
Bailey Loyack and Skok set up the Monarchs to get on the board in the bottom of the first, both working their own two-out walks before sophomore
April Bonwit launched her second home run of the season out fo the park to give King's the early 3-0 lead. Misericordia got one back in the bottom of the inning on a one out solo home run from Maddie Holub, with King's leading 3-1.
Despite a leadoff triple from senior
Gabriella Medina to start the second, King's could not add another run before Misericordia tacked on five in the bottom of the second inning to jump out to a 6-3 advantage.
A one-out double from Skok scored Loyack, and a two-out single from Medina scored Skok as the Monarchs pulled within one, 6-5, but the Cougars had an answer in the bottom of the third with another run on a triple form McHugh, pushing their lead to 7-5.
Both teams added another two runs each in the fourth, thanks to a one-out, two-RBI single to right field from Skok and a two-out RBI single through the right side from sophomore
Hannah Farr for the Monarchs, and an RBI single up-the-middle from Nicole Elliott and a sacrifice fly from Fenstermaker for the Cougars, as Misericordia maintained a 9-7 advantage.
The Monarchs were able to pull ahead after an explosive fifth inning. A Cougars error put first-year
Sydney Bachman on with one out before she advanced to third on a walk from first-year
Kiersten Krouse and a single from Lieback. A sacrifice fly from Loyack scored Bachman and advanced the runners. The two-out rally got started on another single from Skok to load the bases. Bonwit delivered again with an RBI single before Farr plated two on a single up-the-middle as the Monarchs held a strong 12-9 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth.
As they had throughout the day, the host Cougars had a response as they tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a three-RBI triple from Brianna Holder and secured the game with back-to-back home runs from Holub and Elliott in the bottom of the sixth, handing King's the 15-12 loss in the night cap of the doubleheader.
Skok completed a solid offensive day, leading King's with a 3-for-4 effort with three runs scored and three RBIs. Bonwit matched Skok's day, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a run. Krouse, Lieback, Farr, and Medina all recorded two-hit game, with Farr adding three RBIs in the game. First-year
Brandi McIntosh took the loss, pitching the complete six innings and striking out two.
Brianna Holder was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate for Misericordia, adding three RBIs and two runs, while Nicole Elliott went 3-for-4 with four runs and three RBIs. Emily Wenner earned the win in relief for the Cougars, pitching the final 2.1 innings of action and holding the Monarchs scoreless.
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The Monarchs will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon as they host Misericordia at Betzler Field at 1:00 p.m. in the MAC Freedom doubleheader.
