WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 24, 2022) -- After sophomore Brandi McIntosh helped lead the King's College softball team as they blanked Gwynedd Mercy University, 11-0, in five innings in the opener, senior Lindsey Leppo laced a one-out double to right center to drive in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth for the 5-4 win and the doubleheader sweep. The Monarchs improved to 6-5 overall, while the Griffins fall to 1-13 after the home openers at Betzler Field on Thursday afternoon.

Game 1 - W, 11-0 (5 Innings):
King's (5-5) got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with a two-out rally, as junior Bailey Loyack worked the walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Graduate student Morgan Briggs hit a single through the right side to drive in Loyack to put the Monarchs ahead, 1-0.

The Monarchs put together another solid inning in the second, plating three runs on four hits. Junior Olivia Krupski got things going with a two-out single to left and scored on an RBI triple to right center from sophomore Kiersten Krouse. A wild pitch scored Krouse as Leppo reached on a single to left. Some excellent base running from Leppo scored the final run of the inning on a single from Loyack to put the Monarchs ahead, 4-0.

A quick third inning set up the exciting fourth inning to set up the shortened opener. Three straight singles from Krouse, Leppo, and Loyack plated one run. Then, back-to-back walks from Briggs and junior Gabrielle Visconti tacked on another run to  put King's up, 6-0. The bats got hot again on a single from junior Molly Gillette through the right side and consecutive doubles from sophomore Molly Gillette and first year Harley Sullivan saw five more tallies added to see the lead swell to 11-0.

Gwynedd Mercy (1-12) had one last chance to prevent the shortened game as they put two runners on with two outs, but a fly out to center ended the game as King's posted the 11-0 final in game one.

Krouse led King's with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, scoring two runs, driving in one, and adding a stolen base. Loyack posted a perfect 2-for-2 effort with two runs and two RBIs. Leppo and Sullivan also posted multi-hit games in the win, as Sullivan drove in a team-high three RBIs. McIntosh threw a gem in the complete five-inning game, allowing no runs and striking out four.

Shylynn Cordero led the Griffins as she went 2-for-3 in the loss. Jocelyn Baumeister recorded the loss on the mound, giving up 14 hits and 11 earned runs.

Game 2 - W, 5-4 (8 Innings):
Gwynedd Mercy (1-13) got the scoring started in game two as they plated two early runs on a ground out and an RBI single to go up 2-0 after one inning of play.

King's (6-5) put a run on the board after Krouse worked a lead-off walk and stole second. She then advanced to second during Leppo's at bat and scored on a wild pitch as the Monarchs trailed, 2-1.

Each team got a hit in the fourth before a quick fifth inning. The Griffins then put another run on the board in the sixth on a Monarchs error to hold the 3-1 deficit. The Monarchs closed within one in the bottom half of the inning as junior Hannah Farr got the offense rolling with a lead-off double. She advanced to third during first year Emily Novicki's at bat and scored thanks to Briggs to pull King's within 3-2.

The Monarchs defense held the Griffins after they put two on the top of the seventh, but King's had an answer in the bottom of the seventh. Leppo worked a lead-off walk and promptly stole second to set up the RBI single from Loyack. King's had another chance to secure the win, but the Gwynedd Mercy defense forced extra innings.

Gwynedd plated a run in the top of the eighth due to a King's error, going up 4-3 in the extended game. The Monarchs capitalized on the universal extra-inning's base runner rule as Krouse drove in Gillette on a double. Leppo delivered the final blow with her own double to right center to secure the 5-4 win and the doubleheader sweep on Thursday.

Four different Monarchs recorded multi-hit games, while Krouse scored a team-high two runs. First year Emily Novicki earned the win in the circle in the complete game, allowing two earned runs with five strikeouts.

Abigail McCoy paced Gwynedd Mercy with a 2-for-3 day at the plate. Grace Scally took the loss in 1.1 innings of relief work, giving up two runs on three hits.

King's will be back at home on Saturday afternoon in a MAC Freedom doubleheader with FDU-Florham, starting at 1:00 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.