NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (March 8, 2023) -- Bailey Loyack 7-for-9 with three triples, a home run, and a grand slam as the King's College softball team swept their final day of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic with a 9-6 win over Hunter College and a 15-5 rout of Rosemont College. With the sweep, the Monarchs head up north with a 5-3 overall record.
 
vs. Hunter – W, 9-6:
Hunter (0-3) took advantage of an early miscue from the Monarchs to plate one in the first and take the 1-0 lead. King's (4-3) had an immediate response as Bailey Loyack laced a lead off triple to right center and scored on an RBI single through the left side to drive in Loyack and tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Monarchs defense took care of business in the top of the second before a Hawks error allowed King's to plate Breanna Goldspiel. A two-out single from Melinda Ciero put a runner on for Loyack's second triple of the game, this time to left center, as King's went ahead, 3-1.
 
Maura Furst made quick work of the Hunter hitters in the third, striking out two in the third, but the Hawks broke through in the fourth as they used four consecutive singles to tally another run in the fourth and a one-out triple to plate one in the fifth to tie the game at 3-3.
 
After quiet few innings, the King's bats exploded in the sixth as they scored six runs on five hits. Ellie Higdon worked a lead off walk and scored off a double off the left center fence from Molly Gillette to plate the first run of the inning. Kara Krouse walked in the next at bat before a single from Kiersten Krouse loaded the bases. A wild pitch brought in Kara Krouse, and after a two-RBI single from Megan Mitola, Loyack delivered her third extra-base hit of the game with a two-run rocket to left field to push the King's lead to 9-3 heading into the final inning of regulation.
 
Hunter made a strong push in the seventh, plating three runs on three hits, but with the bases loaded and two outs, the King's defense put an end to the game as the Hawk hitter flew out to Mitola in right to secure the 9-6 win in their Wednesday opener.
 
Loyack led the Monarchs offense as she went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Higdon posted a 2-for-3 effort with a run and an RBI. Five other Monarchs got in the hit column as part of the team's 10-hit effort while totaling seven RBIs on their nine runs. Courtney Grogan earned the win in 2.2 innings of relief, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out three, and Furst threw well in 4.1 innings in the start, giving up just two earned runs and fanning five.
 
Olivia Woodruff paced the Hawks with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Paige Witale drove in a team-high two runs. Additionally, Olivia Palumbo scored twice in the loss. Tea Panagakos earned the loss as the starter and after her return in relief, throwing 4.0 innings and giving up four earned runs on eight hits.
 
vs. Rosemont – W, 15-5:
The Ravens struck first as back-to-back leadoff singles led to a first-inning run that saw Rosemont (2-2) take a 1-0 lead after the first. All six batters in the second were retired before King's (5-3) got on the board in the second. A two-out triple to right field from Loyack set up an RBI double to left center from Sullivan as King's knotted the game after the top of the third.
 
Rosemont tacked on three more runs off three hits in the bottom of the inning to push their lead to 4-1, but King's would chip away at the deficit in the top of the fourth as Molly Gillette, Jessica Perella, and Kiersten Krouse all recorded singles in the inning to pull within two, 4-2.
 
It was in the fifth inning that the Monarchs' bats exploded, plating eight runs on five hits and capitalizing on four Ravens' errors. Loyack led off the inning with a single to left field and advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by the Rosemont second baseman, before Sullivan reached safely on an error and drove in Loyack. Two more Ravens errors and a walk from Gabby Visconti set up a two-RBI single from Hannah Farr through the right side before a single up the middle from Perella loaded the bases with no outs.
 
Rosemont would go to their bullpen, and after a pitching change, Loyack rocketed a two-out grand slam to left field  to push the King's lead to 10-4 heading into the fifth.
 
Brandi McIntosh was strong in the circle down the stretch, striking out two in both the fifth and the sixth innings, before the King's bats extended the lead to 15-4 in the seventh. Loyack singled up the middle and worked her way around the bases to cross easily on a triple to left center from Sullivan. Ellie Higdon drove in Sullivan before Visconti and Gillette posted back-to-back singles to tack on another run. King's would finish up their offensive onslaught as Perella drove in the final two runs for King's with a two-out triple to right field as the Monarchs lead swelled to 15-4.
 
The Ravens would put up a fight in the seventh, scoring one, but with two runners in scoring position and just one out, McIntosh delivered the final blow with back-to-back strikeouts and secure the 15-5 win for King's in their night cap.
 
Loyack, Sullivan, and Perella all went 4-for-5 in the game, while Loyack drove in a team-high four runs and scored four. Sullivan, Farr, and Perella all drove in two runs as well, while Gillette scored three runs in the win to go with her 3-for-5 day at the plate. Additionally, Kiersten Krouse added two hits to go along with the 19 team hits for King's. McIntosh secured the win in 4.2 innings of relief, giving up just one earned run on two hits while striking out nine, and Jennifer Devens threw well as the starter in 2.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits.
 
Rosemont was led by Jade Gomez-Chavarria with a 2-for-3 effort, adding two runs. The Ravens starter in Danielle Sharpe was awarded the loss, giving up nine runs on 10 hits in 4.0 innings, while Myora Slaughter allowed six runs on nine hits in 3.0 innings of relief.
 
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The Monarchs will return north and open up Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play against Stevens on Saturday, March 18 at 11:00 a.m. at the Softball Field at Betzler Athletic Complex.