Going up against one of the top Division II programs in the Mid-Atlantic region, the RCGC softball team earned a measure of respectability on Sunday, splitting a doubleheader against Lackawanna College (PA) that included a tight 4-2 loss in Game 1 and a solid 10-2 win in Game 2.
Following the close Game 1 battle, freshman catcher Macenzie Long (Williamstown) took matters into her own hands, slamming a pair of home runs and collecting 6 RBIs as the visiting Runners rolled to the victory. Centerfielder Kelsee Murphy (GCIT) chipped in with three hits.
Macenzie's three-run blast helped the Runners out to a 3-0 first inning lead. She also played a key role in helping her team add four more runs in the fifth and three in the sixth.
"I felt comfortable out there and was just able to make the connections," said Macenzie. "My teammates put a lot of runners on base today and gave me some great opportunities."
Winning pitcher Mackenzie Ponto (West Deptford) proved solid on the mound, allowing five hits and just two walks for head coach Steve DePasquale.
The hitting hero in Game 1 was centerfielder Kelsee Murphy, who drove in two runs. Losing pitcher Jackie Lesher (Cumberland) hurled six solid innings, scattering eight hits, while collecting two hits at the plate. The visitors tied the game at 2-2 apiece in the second inning on Murphy's two-run single, but fell behind 3-2 in the bottom of third as the Lady Falcons tallied an unearned run. Lackawanna then tacked on an insurance run in the sixth to secure the win.
The Lady Falcons, who have one of the nation's top D-II pitchers in sophomore Mia Pawelski, dropped to 18-9 overall following the Game 2 loss.
" I spoke with the Lackawanna coaches afterward and they said they had not seen a team with our hitting abilities," said DePasquale. "That's saying a lot because they have an amazing pitching staff and have been able to sail past most teams."
The Runners, who are now 8-8 overall, hope to continue their winning ways when they take on Region XIX foe Montgomery County College in their home opener doubleheader on Tuesday followed by a home twinbill against County College of Morris on Friday. Both doubleheaders begin at 3:30 pm.