Scranton Lady Lions Softball Falls to Clarks Summit

By: Ross Turetsky, Penn State Scranton Athletics

On Tuesday afternoon, the visiting Penn State Scranton Lions softball squad dropped both ends of their road doubleheader against local non-conference foe the Clarks Summit University Defenders by the scores of 11-3 and 4-3 respectively. With the pair of defeats, Scranton now sees their overall record go to 7-16 and their all-important conference mark stays put at 2-8 heading into big weekend league matchups.

In the game one five inning affair, Clarks Summit scored early and often to cruise to their dominant 11-3 home triumph. The Defenders tallied four runs in the bottom half of the second inning, five more in the fourth, and a pair in the fifth and final frame to ensure their eight run victory. Scranton got on the board by scoring first with a run in the top of the first and added two more in the second inning to account for their trio of runs in the contest. Overall, the Defenders out hit the Lions by a 12-5 margin in the opening battle.

Stand-out sophomore Olivia Shimonis led the way for her Scranton ball club, going 2-3 at the plate and driving home freshman outfielder Megan Gatto for the first run of the game with a nice RBI single to center field. The Lions other base knocks came from junior shortstop Kathryn Lahey, sophomore catcher Ashlyn McNally who also scored a run and stole a base, and freshman third baseman Rachel Murray went 1-2 at the dish and drove in two runs in the ball game.

Meanwhile, Clarks Summit had a quartet of players tally stellar multi-hit performances in the contest, as freshman shortstop Haley Brag, junior first baseman Ashley Velasquez, freshman pitcher Maddison Atkins, and sophomore center fielder Julianna Baker set the pace for their squad. Brag went 2-4, drilling a triple, scored a pair of runs, collected two RBI, and stole a base to boot. Velasquez also was 2-4, crushing a double, and drove home two runs. Atkins went 2-3, cranking a double, scoring twice, picked up an RBI, and swiped a bag for good measure. Last but certainly not least, Baker also was 2-3, stealing a base, scoring a run, and driving home a pair in the battle.

On the pitching side of things, Scranton started Shimonis on the mound and she took the loss, tossing a gritty four innings, allowing seven earned runs, 12 hits, a pair of walks, and fanned four batters while going the distance. Meanwhile, Clarks Summit had Atkins toe the slab and she earned the complete game victory on the bump, throwing all five innings, surrendering a trio of earned runs, five base hits, four walks, and struck out seven Scranton hitters in her quality start.

In the game two nightcap seven inning affair, Clarks Summit hung on from a furious Scranton Lions comeback attempt, as they won a 4-3 nail-biter. The Defenders tallied a run in each of the first four innings of play, while the Lions scored a run in the top of the third, and had a pair cross home in the sixth frame before their valiant comeback fell just short. Clarks Summit out hit Scranton by an 8-3 margin in the second contest.

Scranton had base knocks from Shimonis, who went 1-3 at the plate, with a booming double, was hit by a pitch, and scored a run, Lahey, who was 1-4 at the dish, scoring a run, and picking up an RBI, and lastly, Murray went 1-1, drawing a pair of walks, and collected an RBI. Sophomore right fielder Alicia Gagner recorded the other RBI for the Lions in the matchup and McNally walked three times and scored a run.

Meanwhile, Clarks Summit had the dynamic duo of senior Katlyn McLeod and Baker who impressed at the dish with their stand-out multi-hit performances. McLeod was 2-3 and drove home a run. Baker also had a near flawless 2-3 showing in the nightcap. The Defenders other RBI came from Atkins, junior third baseman Davi Ort, who was 1-2, with a double, a stolen base, a walk, and scored a run, and Brag, who also went 1-2 and hammered a double.

Scranton once again started Shimonis on the mound and she picked up the hard luck loss, tossing all six innings for her ball club, only allowing four earned runs, eight hits, one walk, and struck out two hitters in her solid complete game effort. Meanwhile, Clarks Summit had Brag toe the slab for their squad, as she earned the complete game win, throwing all seven innings, surrendering just two earned runs, a trio of base hits, walked six, and fanned a robust 12 Scranton batters in her terrific start.

Now veteran head coach Mar Tsakonas and her 7-16 Penn State Scranton Lions softball squad will look to bounce back and snap their six game losing streak when they next go on the road this Friday afternoon for a crucial conference doubleheader against Penn State Mont Alto, with first pitch scheduled for 2pm. Meanwhile, Clarks Summit had their overall record improve to 6-12 after these pair of victories over Scranton, their 0-2 in league play, and they will now look to extend their mini two game winning streak when they next host Cedar Crest College in a doubleheader this upcoming Thursday starting at 3pm.