SCRANTON,PA (April 6, 2026)—The King's College softball team dropped a road non-conference doubleheader on Monday evening to The University of Scranton, losing the first matchup by a score of 8-2 before falling in the nightcap, 5-2. The losses drop the Monarchs to 10-14 overall while the Royals move to 13-8 on the season.

Game 1: L, 8-2

Scranton broke the game open with an eight‑run first inning, capitalizing on an early error and a string of extra‑base hits to seize control. After a leadoff walk and a bunt misplay, the Royals used a two‑run double, an RBI triple, and another RBI double to jump ahead 4–0.

A single and a walk kept the first inning alive before a two‑run single to left center extended the margin to 6–0. With two outs, Scranton added two more on a triple to right center to make it 8–0 after one.

King's threatened in the second when Megan Matsko doubled to center, but a pair of pop‑ups and a lineout ended the inning before the Monarchs could put runs across.

The Monarchs broke through in the fourth, loading the bases on a hit‑by‑pitch, another hit‑by‑pitch, and a walk. Ellie Higdon delivered the team's lone scoring swing of the day, lining a two‑run single that brought home Paige Bergan and Matsko to cut the deficit to 8–2.

From there, both pitching staffs settled in. King's retired nine straight across the second, third, and fourth innings, highlighted by clean defensive work at third base from Meghan Marianelli. Scranton added singles in the fifth and sixth but could not push across additional runs, heading into the seventh with an 8-2 lead.

King's was unable to overcome the deficit in the seventh as the Royals took game one by a score of 8-2.

Offensively, the Monarchs were limited to three hits on Matsko's double, Higdon's two‑run single, and a pinch‑hit single from Molly Veach in the seventh. Bergan and Matsko each reached twice, combining for two hit‑by‑pitches and a run scored apiece.

Game 2 – L, 5–2

King's struck first in the opening inning, manufacturing a run after Elise Larson worked a leadoff walk and advanced third. Ellie Higdon delivered the RBI, driving a single up the middle to bring Larson home for a 1–0 lead.

Scranton answered in the third, using a leadoff single and a bunt misplay to set up a two‑run frame. A wild pitch allowed the tying run to score before a groundout to second brought in the go‑ahead run, giving the Royals a 2–1 advantage.

The Monarchs responded quickly in the fourth. Higdon tripled down the right‑field line, and Meghan Marianelli reached on an error that allowed Higdon to score and tie the game at 2–2. King's loaded the bases later in the inning on singles from Molly Veach and Liz Wilson, but a strikeout ended the threat.

Scranton regained the lead in the fifth, capitalizing on a leadoff error and an RBI single to move ahead 3–2. The Royals added two more in the sixth, scoring on a sacrifice bunt paired with an error and a sacrifice fly to extend the margin to 5–2.

King's threatened again in the sixth when Veach and Madison Badali produced back‑to‑back singles, but a pop‑up ended the inning. In the seventh, Paige Bergan delivered a pinch‑hit triple to right to lead off the inning, but Scranton erased the threat on a caught stealing to close out the game.

Higdon led the offense with two hits, including her first triple of the season, while Veach added two singles and Bergan contributed a pinch‑hit triple. King's totaled seven hits in the loss.

In the circle, Madisyn vonFrisch went the distance, allowing nine hits and five runs, only two of them earned, while striking out five across 76 pitches.

The Monarchs return to action on Thursday, April 9 as the team heads to Scranton, PA for the second time this week to face off against Marywood University in a non-conference doubleheader with game one set to begin at 3:00 p.m.