DUNMORE, Pa. – Penn State Schuylkill Softball dominated Penn State Scranton in their first PSUAC matchup of the young season, shutting out Scranton in the first meeting and winning by a 19-point margin in the second contest.
Game One: Penn State Schuylkill 16, Penn State Scranton 0
Schuylkill began the contest on fire, as they finished the 1st inning up 7-0 after totaling 8 singles during the first frame of action.
Schuylkill continued to run up the score during the 3rd inning as an error led to runs by Caitlyn Goggin (Alexandria, VA / Hayfield Secondary School) and Meghan Stokes (Winchester, VA / John Hadley). A triple by Mackenzie Carl (Tower City, PA / Williams Valley) plays later led to a Cealinn McGroarty (New Boston, PA / Mahanoy) run, giving Schuylkill a 10-0 lead after 3rd inning.
With bases loaded at the top of the 5th inning for Schuylkill, Kaely Walshaw (Dornsife, PA / Line Mountain) singled, leading to a Stokes run. Alyssa Youst (Schuylkill Haven, PA / Blue Mountain) walked on the next play leading to a McGroarty run. Schuylkill continued to roll as a Kristina McConnell (Port Jefferson Station, NY / Comsewogue) single led to two more scores for the Lady Lions. A double by Goggin on the next play led to 2 scores for Schuylkill and extended their lead to 16-0.
Carl led Schuylkill in total hits with 4. Stokes, Walshaw, McConnell, Whitehead, and Goggin each finished with 3 hits in the victory. McGroarty, McConnell, and Whitehead tallied 3 RBI's each. Walshaw completed the shutout while allowing only 2 hits and finishing with 10 strikeouts.
Game Two: Penn State Schuylkill 20, Penn State Scranton 1
Stokes homered on the first play of game two to give Schuylkill a 1-0 lead early on. With bases loaded at the top of the 1st inning, Melanie Torrales (Allentown, PA / William Allen) tripled, leading to three Schuylkill scores and extended their lead to 4-0. Scranton responded with a run at the bottom of the 1st inning following a double, their only run of the contest.
A single by Walshaw led to two Schuylkill scores at the top of the 4th inning. Two consecutive errors by Scranton ultimately led to two more Schuylkill scores to give them a 9-1 lead heading into the 5th inning.
Schuylkill hit the ball a total of 8 times during the 5th inning, leading to 11 runs. Carl recorded 2 doubles during the frame, leading to a total of 5 runs for Schuylkill. Walshaw also hit a double during the frame, leading to a Schuylkill score. Schuylkill went on to defeat Scranton 20-1.
Walshaw led Schuylkill in total hits with 4 while Stokes added 3. Torrales tallied 6 RBI's for Schuylkill as Carl totaled 5 for the Lady Lions. Miranda Hess (New Columbia, PA / Milton) pitched a total of four innings for Schuylkill, winning her matchup and allowing only 2 hits and a run.
What's Next:
Schuylkill (5-3 overall, 2-0 PSUAC) will continue their road stretch as they travel to Tacoma Park, MD to take on NAIA opponent Washington Adventist in a doubleheader matchup this Sunday, March 26th at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
