Marisa Ciriello	Kaitlyn Brogan	Morgan Rentzheimer

DRIFTON, Pa. - The University of Scranton softball team took a pair of non-conference games at Penn State Hazleton on Monday evening, winning the first game of a doubleheader, 3-2, then breaking open a tie ballgame late to take an 11-3 victory in the nightcap.

With the victories,, Scranton is now 16-14 on the year.

Game One: Scranton 3, Penn State Hazleton 2 | Box Score

In the first game of the day, the Royals scored runs in the middle innings, then rode the pitching of sophomore Morgan Rentzheimer (Laurys Station, Pa./Parkland) to a victory.

Scoreless through two innings, Scranton got on the board in the top of the third, as junior Jacqueline DeSarro (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) knocked home two runs on a two-RBI single with two outs, giving the Royals a 2-0 lead. Fellow juniors Shannon Stricker (Morrisville, Pa./Conwell Egan) and Angelica Titor (Bellerose Village, N.Y./Floral Park Memorial) scored on the play.

After Penn State Hazleton scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the frame, Scranton attacked back with a run of their own in the top of the fourth, as junior Marisa Ciriello (Hicksville, N.Y./Hickville) smacked a solo home run to lead off the frame, giving Scranton a 3-1 edge. The round tripper was Ciriello's third of the season and fourth of her career.

From there, Rentzheimer and the Scranton defense was able to hold the Penn State Hazleton offense at bay, as they only scored a single run in the bottom of the sixth after loading the bases up with two outs.

In the seventh, Penn State Hazleton went down in order against Rentzheimer, preserving the win for Scranton.

Overall, DeSarro led the way at the plate going 2-for-4 with two RBI, while freshman Molly Hampsey (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannnock) was 2-for-3 in the win. In the circle, Rentzheimer went to 7-6 on the season with the complete game victory.

Game Two: Scranton 11, Penn State Hazleton 3 | Box Score

In the second game, a seven-run fifth inning broke open a game that was tied, as the Royals rolled to an eight-win victory to complete the doubleheader sweep.

After Penn State Hazleton scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first, Scranton attacked back with three runs in the top of the second to take their first lead of the game at 3-1.

Sophomore Shanna Schaeffer (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay), Hampsey, and sophomore Kaitlyn Brogan (Oreland, Pa./Saint Basil Academy) all had RBI singles in the frame.

But, Penn State Hazleton came back with two runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game up at 3-3. The score remained that way into the fifth, where Scranton put Penn State Hazleton away with seven runs to go up 10-3. The Royals then added their last run in the seventh, coasting to an eight-run victory in the process.

In the fifth, Ciriello capped off a big day with a bases clearing, three-RBI double, while Brogan hit a two-run home run, the first of her career. Scranton's final run in the seventh came on an RBI single by Stricker to cap the scoring for the Royals on the day.

Meanwhile in the pitching circle, the combination of junior starter Emily Simon (Freehold, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) and senior reliever Jamie Hampsey (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) kept Penn State Hazleton off the board over the final four innings of the game, as Simon earned the victory to go to 4-1 on the year.

Overall at the plate in game two, Brogan and Ciriello led the way. Brogan ended the night going 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Ciriello was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Stricker was the other player in the line-up with multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

The University of Scranton softball team returns to action on Wednesday, taking on Muhlenberg in their final home doubleheader of the 2016 season at the Jessup Youth Sports Complex. First pitch for game one is set for 4 p.m.

--ROYALS--