HOBOKEN, NJ (March 22, 2024) -- The King's College softball team dropped a pair in their Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) debut on Friday afternoon, falling 9-4 in game one and 7-1 in game two, on the road at Stevens Institute of Technology. With the setbacks, the Monarchs drop to 8-6 overall and 0-2 in the conference, while the Ducks improved to 10-6 and a 2-2 mark in MAC Freedom play.
 
Game 1 – L, 4-9:
The host Stevens (10-6, 2-2 MAC Freedom) jumped on the board early, plating a pair in the bottom of the first, but the King's (8-6, 0-2 MAC Freedom) defense buckled down and did not allow another Duck base runner in the next two frames. The Monarchs offense put up three hits in the stretch but were unable to convert as the game remained 2-0 in favor of Stevens heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
Back-to-back strong innings from Stevens where the hosts plated two more tallies in the fourth and three more in the fifth saw King's face a 7-0 deficit heading into the top of the sixth.
 
The Monarchs offense came alive that frame, scoring four runs off six hits. Five consecutive hits from King's, highlighted by an RBI double to left center from Harley Sullivan and an RBI single from Paige Bergan put King's within 7-3 with no outs and a runner on first and second. Bergan and Breanna Goldspiel converted a double steal to put two more in scoring position, but the Ducks defense delivered some key plays, limiting King's to just one more hit, a one-out RBI single to center off the bat of BrookeLynn Walters, as Stevens maintained their 7-4 edge heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
Stevens shut the door on a Monarch comeback, leading off the bottom of the frame with a home run to left center before scoring one more additional insurance run to push their advantage to 9-4 heading into the final inning of play.
 
Sullivan doubled down the left field line to give King's a runner with two outs, but the Ducks defense remained steady as the Monarchs dropped their MAC Freedom opener, 9-4.
 
Sullivan paced the offense as she went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run, and an RBI, while Bergan also put up a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Perella rounded out the leading hitters as she added two with a run as part of the 11-hit game for King's. Brandi McIntosh earned the loss as the starter, throwing 3.0 innings and striking out one while allowing just three hits.
 
Madison Subbiondo led Stevens with a perfect 3-for-3 day, adding four RBIs and three runs with a double and a home run. Kyra Fischer picked up the win in the complete-game effort, giving up 11 hits and four earned runs.
 
Game 2 – L, 1-7:
It was a different story in game two as the Monarchs jumped on top of Stevens early. Goldspiel reached on an error in the first at bat of the game and used some smart base running to score on a Duck miscue on a sacrifice bunt from Perella to put King's ahead, 1-0.
 
King's limited Stevens to just one hit in the bottom half of the frame, a lead off single down the left field line, before the defense and Emily Novicki got to work with Novicki striking out four of the next seven batters faced.
 
The hosts broke through the scoring drought, using a five-hit effort in the bottom of the third to take a 4-1 lead over the Monarchs. King's strung together consecutive singles from Ellie Higdon and Sullivan in the top of the fourth, but the pair were halted by the Ducks defense as the score remained 4-1 in favor of Stevens.
 
Novicki surpassed the milestone mark in the bottom of the fourth, fanning the second batter of the inning, but the Ducks took advantage of a one-out double to plate a run in the fifth and tallied two more in the bottom of the sixth to lead King's, 7-1, heading into the final inning.
 
Colleen Shuler and Kara Krouse sparked the Monarchs offense in the top of the seventh, reaching on back-to-back infield singles with two outs, but a head's up play by the Ducks shortstop ended the game as the Monarchs fell, 7-1, in game two of the MAC Freedom doubleheader at Waterfront Park.
 
Shuler had a solid game at the plate, going 2-for-3 to lead the seven-hit effort for King's in game two, while Goldspiel scored the lone Monarch run. Novicki tallied the loss in 6.0 innings, giving up seven earned runs with seven strikeouts. She becomes just the fifth player in program history to surpass the 200-strikeout mark for her career as a junior.
 
Jessica Guerrero led the Ducks offense in the nightcap, adding a 3-for-4 effort with a double, two runs, and an RBI. Ella Tozduman recorded her first collegiate win as she went the distance and gave up one run on seven hits.
 
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The Monarchs will be back in action on Monday afternoon as they make the trip up to Scranton, Pa. to take on Marywood University. Game one of the non-conference doubleheader is set for 3:00 p.m.