SCRANTON, Pa. – The University of Scranton softball team (8-5) used a 13-0 five inning victory in game two to earn a split of the doubleheader with the Keystone College Giants (6-4) on Tuesday afternoon at Magis Field in Scranton.

Keystone won game one by a score of 4-2 in eight innings.

Game One

The Giants used an RBI double from Kabrina Birmingham who later scored on a wild pitch to break a two all tie in the eighth and capture game one, 4-2.

Scranton had forced extras with a run in the bottom of the seventh as junior Lauren Cawley (Duryea, Pa./Scranton Prep) was hit by a pitch and scored from first on sophomore Sarah Stepnowski's (Monroe Twp, N.J./Monroe) two-out RBI double to even things at two.

Fellow sophomore Courtney Wellet (Glen Gardner, N.J./Voorhees) was dealt the tough luck loss for Scranton as she allowed the two runs (one earned) on one hit in 2 2/3 IP, while Courtney Cienki gave up two runs on six hits in a complete game effort to notch the win for Keystone.

Things were scoreless until the home half of the fifth inning when junior Ava Brakoniecki (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) tripled into the right centerfield gap and scored on an RBI single from graduate student Jennifer Sweeney (Wind Gap, Pa./Dumont) to give the Royals a 1-0 edge.

However, the Giants answered with two in the top of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead that would hold until Stepnowski's game-tying RBI double an inning later.

Freshman Hannah Keane (Randolph, N.J./Randolph) got the start in the circle for Scranton and surrendered two runs (one earned) on one hit while walking one in 5 1/3 IP.

Brakoniecki (2-4, 3B, R) registered a multi-hit game for the Royals.

Game Two

The Royals scored in each of the first three innings with two in the first, four in the second and seven in the third to cruise to the 13-0 shutout of Keystone in the nightcap.

Back-to-back one out singles put two runners on in the first inning and Sweeney drove home both runners with a two-run double down the left field line. An inning later, Stepnowski delivered the big blow in the frame with a two-run triple to go along with an RBI single from senior Jessica Indelicato (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) to open up a 6-0 lead at the time.

In the seven-run third inning, Scranton sent 12 batters to the plate and six different players drove in runs including run-scoring doubles from Indelicato, junior Olivia Burd (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) and sophomore Jessica Stadler (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick).

Sweeney also got the job done in the circle for the Royals as she allowed just one hit to go along with two walks and three strikeouts over five shutout innings to notch her third win of the year.

Four different players had two hits or more for the Royals led by a 3-3 day from Indelicato with a double, two RBI, stolen base and three runs scored. Cawley (2-2, BB, R), Stadler (2-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Stepnowski (2-2, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R) also had multi-hit games in the win.

Stepnowski leads the Landmark Conference with 20 RBI in her first 13 games of the season.

The University of Scranton softball team returns to action with a Landmark Conference doubleheader at No. 15 Moravian on Saturday afternoon with first pitch in Bethlehem slated for 1 p.m.

--ROYALS--