WILKES-BARRE, PA (April 21, 2025) -- Senior Emily Novicki delivered in all facets of the game on Monday afternoon to help lead the King's College softball team in a split with the University of Scranton. The Monarchs won the opener, 1-0, before falling 5-4 in game two of the non-conference doubleheader. King's moves to 12-22 overall, while the Royals stand at 17-11.
 
Game 1 – W, 1-0:
Emily Novicki went to work from the start, striking out seven of the first 10 batters she faced in the game. Both teams struggled at the plate despite a two-out single to left from Alyssa Fox in the second and a two-out hit up the middle from Harley Sullivan in the third, but the game remained scoreless through three frames.
 
Scranton (17-11) put up their first hits of the game in the top of the second, but Sullivan through out the lead off runner, and Novicki collected her eighth strikeout to end the threat. King's (12-22) broke through the scoreless affair as Meghan Marianelli led off with a double to right center, and Megan Matsko followed with a walk to put two on with no outs. Fox laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to advance the runners, and Colleen Shuler hit a deep fly ball to center field to plate the run and put the Monarchs ahead, 1-0, after four innings.
 
After a quick fifth frame, the Royals knocked on the door again. Two one-out hits and a walk loaded the bases, but a shallow fly out to Kara Krouse in center and a ground out to Marianelli at third preserved the 1-0 lead for the hosts. There would be no hits down the stretch as the Monarchs took game one, 1-0.
 
Marianelli had a hit and a run, while both Sullivan and Fox added the other hits in the win for King's. Novicki picked up the victory in the complete-game shutout while allowing just four hits and fanning 10.
 
Both Celia Totaro and Alyssa Mosconi went 2-for-3 to total all four of the Royals hits in the setback. Juliana Janezic was awarded the loss in relief, tossing 3.0 innings and allowing an earned run off one hit.
 
Game 2 – L, 4-5:
The Royals rallied from the game-one loss as they scored four runs on five hits in the top of the first of game two. The Monarchs finally found some momentum in the bottom of the second as Novicki led off with a single to right center and Madison Badali had an infield hit to put two on, but the Scranton defense stifled the effort as King's continued to trail, 4-0.
 
After a quick top of the third, the Monarch bats came alive, scoring three on five hits. Breanna Goldspiel and Sullivan singled to start the frame before a hit up-the-middle from Fox plated Goldspiel, and a throwing error on the play at the plate allowed Sullivan to score. A sacrifice fly from Ellie Higdon drove in Fox to make it a 4-3 game through three.
 
The Royals answered again, tacking on a run in the top of the fourth on a pair of hits. Despite both teams putting runners in scoring position over the next two innings, neither could find a way to bring in the runs as the game entered the bottom of the seventh with the Monarchs behind, 5-3.
 
Fox doubled to left to lead off the inning and scored on a one-out single to left center from Novicki to cut the deficit to 5-4. A passed ball allowed pinch runner Karleigh Weist to take second, but King's could not bring in the tying run as they fell, 5-4, in the comeback effort.
 
Novicki went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Badali also had a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. Fox went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Goldspiel went 2-for-3 with a run. Maura Furst recorded the loss as the starter, throwing 4.0 innings and allowing five earned runs on 10 hits. Courtney Grogan threw well in relief, tossing a scoreless 3.0 innings while striking out four with three hits allowed.
 
Alyssa Mosconi paced Scranton with a 3-for-4 effort with a double, a run, and an RBI. Carley Noble picked up the win as the starter, tossing 2.0 innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits.
 
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King's will be on the road to close out the 2025 regular season, making their first stop in a short trip across town to take on Wilkes University. The non-conference doubleheader is set for Wednesday afternoon in Edwardsville with a 4:00 p.m. start.