Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Photo gallery (by Dan Ceccacci)
JESSUP, Pa. - Juniors Christine Kiefer (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) and Angelica Titor (Bellerose Village, N.Y./Floral Park Memorial) each hit three-run home runs, as the University of Scranton softball team salvaged a split of a non-conference doubleheader with King's on Wednesday, winning game two of the set by a score of 8-0 in five innings at the Jessup Youth Sports Complex.
A comeback bid in game one fell just short for Scranton, as they dropped the first game of the doubleheader to the Lady Monarchs, 7-6. With the results Scranton went to 8-10 overall.
Game Two: Scranton 8, King's 0 (Five Innings) | Box Score
In the second game of the afternoon, Scranton opened a lead in the first and never looked back, as junior pitcher Emily Simon (Freehold, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) kept the King's offense at bay to clinch a five inning victory for the Royals.
The scoring got underway for Scranton in the first, as junior Shannon Stricker (Morrisville, Pa./Conwell Egan) knocked home Kiefer (who led the inning off with a double) with an RBI double, giving the Royals the early 1-0 lead. Junior Jacqueline DeSarro (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) then brought home Stricker on an RBI single, extending the lead out to 2-0 after one.
The rest of the scoring on the day for Scranton was done on two swings of the bat.
First in the second, Titor smacked a three-run homer over the left field fence to give the Royals a 5-0 lead after two. For Titor, the round tripper was the first of her three-year career.
Then, in the third, Kiefer went long with two runners on, launching a pitch over the left-center field fence to give Scranton an eight-run lead. The long shot for Kiefer was the first of her 2016 season and the sixth of her career at Scranton.
From there, Simon shut down the King's lineup to end the game in five innings, earning her second win of the year (2-1) after giving up just four hits and striking out three in a shutout performance.
Overall, Kiefer was dominant in the leadoff spot in the lineup, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored, and three RBI. She was also the only player in the Scranton lineup to have multiple hits in the win, as well.
Game One: King's 7, Scranton 6 | Box Score
In the first game of the day, Scranton could not rally back from a 5-0 deficit, falling just short in a one-run loss.
Down by five entering the bottom of the fifth, the Royals finally attacked, scoring four runs to slice the Lady Monarchs lead down to 5-4.
In the frame, Scranton junior Kaitlin O'Sullivan (Bensalem, Pa./Nazareth Academy) posted a two-RBI single with the bases loaded, then with two outs, fellow junior Marisa Ciriello (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) smacked a two-run home run over the centerfield fence to make it a one-run game. The homer for Ciriello was the second of her career and first since her freshman season of 2014.
King's however, countered the scoring in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs to increase the lead to 7-4. But, in the sixth, Scranton cut the lead down to one again, as Stricker roped a two-RBI double that made it a one run game entering the seventh.
After keeping the Lady Monarchs off the board in the top of the frame, Scranton had a chance to either tie or win the game in the bottom of the seventh, but went down in order in the inning, as King's went on to hold off the Scranton comeback bid in game one.
Overall, Stricker led the way at the plate in the first game, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while Ciriello was also 2-for-4 with two RBI. Kiefer joined the group going 2-for-4 with a run scored, and DeSarro rounded out the players with multiple hits in the loss, ending 2-for-4 with a run scored, as well.
In the circle, sophomore Morgan Rentzheimer (Laurys Station, Pa./Parkland) suffered the defeat in a complete game performance to fall to 3-4 on the year.
The University of Scranton softball team returns to action on Thursday, traveling to Wilkes for another nonconference doubleheader. First pitch for game one is set for 5 p.m.
--ROYALS--
