WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The University of Scranton softball team (16-12, 2-8 Landmark) suffered heartbreaking walk-off losses in both games and dropped a doubleheader to the Wilkes Colonels (16-10, 5-5 Landmark) on Thursday at the Ralston Athletic Complex.
Scranton dropped an 8-7 decision in game one and 2-1 in the nightcap.
Wilkes 8, Scranton 7
Kayla Burleson delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh that lifted the Colonels to the 8-7 win.
Burleson's single scored pinch-runner Avya Knowles after Wilkes had drawn a leadoff walk in the inning.
Sophomore Samantha Shaw (Pennington, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central) was dealt the loss for the Royals after allowing four runs (two earned) on two hits to go along with a walk and a strikeout over 1 2/3 IP.
Lauren DeMarco struck out one over 1 2/3 shutout IP of relief and recorded the win for Wilkes.
Scranton had tied the game at seven in the top of the sixth with a two-run blast from senior Sarah Stepnowski (Monroe Twp., N.J./Monroe), her first home run of the season.
The Colonels had rallied from an early 5-0 deficit with seven runs in the fifth including a three-run shot by Burleson that gave the hosts the lead for the time being.
Sophomore Soleil Dooner (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) got the start for the Royals and allowed four runs on eight hits while walking one and fanning two in 4 1/3 IP.
The Royals immediately got on the board with four runs in the first via a sac fly, a Dooner RBI single and sophomore Keira Corrigan's (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) two-run double.
Dooner added an RBI double in the second inning to plate Stepnowski and extend the lead to 5-0.
Wilkes starter Sami Hendershott gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits over 1 2/3 IP.
Senior Jessica Stadler (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) led the way for the Royals offensively with three hits and the duo of Dooner and Stepnowski added two apiece.
Wilkes 2, Scranton 1
Mia Butka had a walk-off two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Royals dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker in game two.
An error started the inning for Scranton and ultimately led to the two unearned runs that scored on Butka's two-out double.
Freshman Juliana Janezic (Southington, Conn./Cheshire Academy) was charged the tough-luck loss after giving up two unearned runs on six hits to go along with two walks and four strikeouts in 6 2/3 IP.
DeMarco got the win for the Colonels as she was tagged for a run on five hits while fanning five in a complete-game effort.
The Royals broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fifth as sophomore Emmie Feltenberger (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) led off with a double, advanced to third on a sac bunt and scored on freshman Alexa Bruno's (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) RBI single.
Freshman Celia Totaro (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central) registered a multi-hit game for the Royals.
Scranton will host Juniata in a Landmark Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Magis Field with first pitch of game one set for 1 p.m.
--ROYALS--
