WILKES- BARRE, Pa.- Eastern University Softball scored eight times
in the final four innings of game one to claim an 8-4 win at King's
College. The Eagles were in position to take the sweep, but the Monarchs
erased a three-run deficit to take game two 4-3.
King's held a
2-0 lead heading into the top of the fourth. The Eagles grabbed the lead
with three runs on four hits in the inning. As has been the custom of
late, first-year shortstop Kasey Williams started the action. She
doubled to left to start the rally. After Janelle Fair lined out, Emily
Houck singled and took second on a throw to the plate to put a pair of
runners in scoring position with just one out. Katelyn Donald singled to
right to plate Williams, and Ariel Polanco pulled a ground ball
through the left side to score Houck. Donald came home on a nice bunt
from Erica Chopas.
After the Eagles went quietly in the fifth, the
first two runners reached in the sixth. Donald hit her first home run
of the year to drive in Houck and Fair and push the advantage to 6-2.
The first two Eastern hitters were retired in the seventh when Williams
singled through the middle. Fair singled to left, and Williams scored
what proved to be the winning run on an Emily Houck single. Polanco
picked up her second RBI single of the afternoon to drive home one more
run.
The seventh inning runs, it turns out, were vital. King's
(18-3, 7-1) scored a run on a sacrifice fly and added three more on a
three-run home run from Maggie Gola. Fair then struck out the final two
hitters to secure the win. Fair struck out 12 and did not walk a
hitter to help the Eagles to their first Freedom Conference win of the
year.
The Eagles built a 3-0 lead in game two with an unearned
run in the first and two runs on a Janelle Fair homer in the third, but
the Monarchs took advantage of three Eastern errors in the fourth inning
to tie the game. Katie Kowalski delivered the big blow in the inning
with a two-out single to drive in a a pair. King's scored all four of
their runs in game two after two were out.
Eastern had a chance with two on and nobody out in the sixth, but two strikeouts and a ground ball stranded Houck and Fair.
King's
scored the game-winner after a lead-off triple to center in the sixth.
Fair almost worked out of the jam with a pop-up and a strikeout, but
Kowalczyk, the ninth hitter in the Monarch line-up came through with her
second big hit of the game to plate the eventual game-winner.
The
Eagles had chances in the seventh with two runners in scoring position
and nobody out, but a strikeout and pair of tag plays at the plate ended
the game for the Eagles.
Eastern (7-15, 1-7) continues its
traveling ways with a pair of away doubleheaders midweek before hosting
Wilkes University in league action next Saturday.
Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
