WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 22, 2025) -- Both games of the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) came down to the final inning, but the King's College softball team dropped the pair, 2-1 in game one and 4-1 in 10 innings in game two, to the visiting Stevens Institute of Technology. With the setbacks on Saturday afternoon at the Softball Field at Betzler, the Monarchs fall to 4-10 overall and 0-2 in the standings, while the Ducks improve to 7-11 with a 2-2 conference mark.
 
Game 1 – L, 1-2:
Stevens (7-11, 2-2 MAC Freedom) got an early jump in the opener, leading off with a double, but the King's (4-10, 0-2 MAC Freedom) defense handled the bunt perfectly before Emily Novicki fanned the next two batters to preserve the scoreless game in the first. The Ducks pushed through in the top of the second, scoring an unearned run to take the 1-0 lead. After a quick third, each team put a hit on the board in the fourth but did not capitalize.
 
It was the top of the fifth that the Ducks plated their insurance run thanks to a lead off double, a single, and a sacrifice fly as Stevens held the 2-0 edge through five. The Monarch bats came alive in the bottom of the seventh with the game on the line as Paige Bergan, Meghan Marianelli, and Ellie Higdon all singled to start the frame and drive in the first run of the game. The Stevens defense settled in and put a halt to the comeback as King's dropped game one of the conference opener, 2-1.
 
Bergan went 2-for-3 with a run and a double, while Marianelli, Higdon, and Megan Matsko also added hits in the loss. Novicki picked up the loss in the complete-game effort, giving up one earned run on seven hits while striking out six.
 
Jessica Guerrero, Elizabeth Kirstein, and Allison Mitloff each had two hits for the Ducks, while Kyra Fischer earned the win, allowing five hits and one run.
 
Game 2 – L, 1-4 (10 Innings):
Game two was an instant classic as the 10-inning thriller went down to the wire. There was just one Ducks hit recorded over the first two innings before the visitors got on the board behind a pair of hits in the top of the third as Stevens led, 1-0, through three. The Monarchs defense delivered I the top of the fourth as a great relay from Alyssa Fox to Colleen Shuler to Harley Sullivan at home prevented another Ducks run to keep it a 1-0 game after the top of the frame. Sullivan then doubled to lead off the bottom half of the inning but was stranded thanks to some head's-up defense by Stevens.
 
The pace of play flew by over the next three innings to set up the thrilling bottom of the seventh. Novicki singled up the middle with one out, and Higdon laid down a beautiful bunt single down the third-base line to put two runners on with one out. Jess perella delivered the game-tying hit on a single to right field, but the Stevens defense settled in and forced the extended game with the score tied, 1-1, through regulation.
 
The visitors strung together three hits in the top of the eighth, but it was the King's defense again to stifle the efforts as Higdon threw out the lead runner at home, and Kara Krouse corralled a fly out to center to end the inning. The Monarchs attempted to match the effort in the bottom of the eighth with a lead off single from Matsko and a one-out hit by Sullivan, but the runner was stranded.
 
A quick ninth inning put the bats back in the hands of the Ducks in the 10th as they worked a lead off walk and plated three runs on back-to-back doubles to jump ahead, 4-1. The Monarchs were unable to yet again match that effort to extend the game as they dropped the 10-inning thriller, 4-1, to Stevens in game two of the conference doubleheader.
 
Sullivan had two hits and a double, while Novicki, Higdon, Jess Perella, and Matsko finished with a hit. Madisyn vonFrisch recorded the loss in the complete 10-inning game with three earned runs.
 
Jessica Hsu went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, and a run while also picking up the win in the circle, throwing 9.2 innings and allowing one earned run on five hits.
 
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The Monarchs continue their home stand on Wednesday afternoon as they host Penn State Schuylkill. The non-conference doubleheader is set to begin at 3:00 p.m. at the Softball Field at Betzler.