WILKES-BARRE, PA (April 12, 2023) -- The senior duo of Hannah Farr and Olivia Krupski came up big in late innings to lead the King's College softball team to a doubleheader sweep over Arcadia University, picking up a 2-1 win in game one and a 3-2 victory in the night cap. With the wins in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) doubleheader at Betzler Field, the Monarchs improve to 13-6 overall and 5-1 in the MAC Freedom standings, while the Knights fall to 14-13 and 4-4 in the conference.
 
Game 1 – W, 2-1:
Arcadia (14-13, 4-4 MAC Freedom) jumped out to the early 1-0 lead after an RBI double from Megan Sooy before a pitcher's duel ensued. The game would see just two hits over the next five innings, including a single from Farr in the bottom of the second and a single from Megan Mitola in the bottom of the fifth.
 
King's (13-6, 5-1 MAC Freedom) posted the thrilling comeback as Bailey Loyack reached safely on an infield single before stealing second. A Knights error drove in Loyack before three straight singles from Gabby Visconti, Molly Gillette, and Hannah Farr allowed the winning run to score to put the Monarchs up, 2-1, heading into the final frame.
 
The Knights would put one on with a two-out double from Nathalia Diianni, but the Monarchs defense came up strong to secure the 2-1 win in game one of the MAC Freedom doubleheader.
 
Farr went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Monarchs offense, while Loyack, Visconti, Gillette, and Mitola all posted hits in the win. Brandi McIntosh earned the complete-game win, holding the Knights to one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts.
 
Arcadia saw three separate players record a hit in the loss, led by a 1-for-2 effort with an RBI from Megan Sooy. Paige Nolan was awarded the loss in 6.0 innings, allowing one earned run on six hits.
 
Game 2 – W, 3-2:
It was another defensive battle in game two as both teams would put up a pair of hits in the first inning before the pitchers settled in to this exciting conference match up.
 
This time, it would be King's to plate the first run in the bottom of the third as Kiersten Krouse led off with a single to left center, stole second, and scored on an RBI single through the left side from Harley Sullivan to take the 1-0 lead.
 
Arcadia would respond right away with a run on three hits in the top of the fourth to see the conference contest tied, 1-1, after three and a half innings of work. The Knights pulled ahead, 2-1, off a single from Diianni in the top of the fifth, but the Monarchs would battle back in the bottom half of the frame.
 
Krupski knocked a lead off double to left center and advanced to third during Sullivan's at bat before Visconti drove in Krupski with a single to right to tie the game, 2-2.
 
The King's defense stifled a pair of singles from the Knights in the top of the sixth before delivering the final blow in the bottom of the inning. Farr worked a one-out walk and advanced to second on a single from Krouse. Krupski stepped up to drive in the winning run on a single to right center to put the Monarchs ahead, 3-2.
 
Another strong defensive inning from King's saw the Monarchs retire all three batters faced without allowing the ball to leave the infield and pick up the 3-2 win and the MAC Freedom sweep over Arcadia.
 
Four different Monarchs posted multi-hit games, led by Krupski who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while Sullivan recorded a 2-for-3 effort with a run. Emily Novicki posted the complete-game win, allowing two earned runs on eight hits while fanning five.
 
The Knights saw three total two hits, led by Madi Costigan with a 2-for-3 appearance and a run. Amaia Smith threw 5.0 innings and gave up two earned runs on nine hits, while Caity Hinton was awarded the loss in the final inning, allowing the winning run on two hits.
 
--
 
The Monarchs will head down to Center Valley, Pa. on Saturday afternoon for a MAC Freedom doubleheader with DeSales University. Action is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.