SALISBURY, MD (March 15, 2025) -- The King's College softball team responded from a 3-0 setback in their morning match up with The College of New Jersey to defeat Susquehanna University, 5-1, in the night cap. The Monarchs improve to 4-4 overall after completing their opening day of the Margie Knight Softball Classic hosted by Salisbury University.
 
vs. The College of New Jersey – L, 0-3:
TCNJ (5-4) struck early, plating a pair in the first two innings off a hit each to go ahead 2-0. Two defensive innings ensued with just two Lions hits heading into the fifth.
 
King's (3-4) put their lead off runner on with a single to left from Alyssa Fox before advancing to second on a one-out walk from Colleen Shuler. The pair got stranded as the Monarchs continued to trail, 2-0. The TCNJ offense reignited in the fifth, scoring on two hits to push their advantage to 3-0.
 
The Monarchs attempted a comeback, getting timely hits in a two-out double to left by Paige Bergan in the sixth and a two-out single in the seventh from Shuler, but the efforts came up shy in a 3-0 setback in game one of the tournament.
 
Harley Sullivan, Bergan, Fox, and Shuler had all four hits for the Monarchs. Emily Novicki picks up her first loss of the season, throwing 6.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on eight hits.
 
Rachel Alecci and Gianna Vazquez each went 2-for-3 in the win for the Lions. Maya Knasiak earned the win, throwing the complete-game shutout with four hits allowed.
 
vs. Susquehanna – W, 5-1:
Susquehanna (2-8) struck first, scoring in the top of the first on a wild pitch, but it was all King's (4-4) the rest of the way. In the bottom of the second, Fox reached out a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a walk by Shuler. Fox came in to score on a single to left from Breanna Goldspiel to tie the game, 1-1, after two innings of play.
 
After a quick third inning, the Monarchs added to their lead in the bottom of the frame. Fox worked a lead off walk, stole second, and scored on a single by Shuler. Kara Krouse was hit by a pitch, and a fielder's choice put Shuler at third to set up a two-RBI single by Sullivan, her 100^th hit of her career, to push the King's advantage to 4-1. A two-out infield hit from Novicki tacked on the final run as the Monarchs held a 5-1 edge after four innings of work.
 
The River Hawks made a push down the stretch, recording four hits in the final three innings, but the King's defense remained steady as they brought home the 5-1 victory in game two on Saturday afternoon.
 
Sullivan drove in a pair and scored to go along with her milestone hit, while Fox scored twice. Madisyn vonFrisch earned the complete-game win, giving up just one earned run and striking out three.
 
Hannah Roland, Katelyn Dugery, and Julia LaRose all recorded two hits in the loss for the River Hawks. Ashley Carlson picked up the loss as the starter, throwing the first 3.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits.
 
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King's will take on day two of the Margie Knight Classic tomorrow afternoon as they face Worcester Polytechnic Institute at 1:00 p.m. and New York University at 3:00 p.m.