SOFTBALL

Softball Home Team News Season Preview Schedule/Results Team Roster Statistics Meet the Coaches Facilities Photo Gallery Prospective Athletes Links Team Page Choose A Team... ---- Men ---- Baseball Basketball Cross Country Football Golf Lacrosse Soccer Swimming Tennis Wrestling ---- Women ---- Basketball Cross Country Field Hockey Lacrosse Soccer Softball Swimming Tennis Volleyball ---- Coed ---- Rifle

MAY 5, 2006 KING'S SOFTBALL WINS OPENER VERSUS FDU,  BUT FALLS TO WILKES IN SECOND GAME Click below for the official tournament web page: http://www.wilkes.edu/pages/1305.asp WILKES-BARRE -- The top-seeded King's College softball team overcame a 3-0 deficit in the fifth inning as the Lady Monarchs posted a 6-3 victory over fourth-seeded FDU-Florham in the opening round of the Freedom Conference Tournament Friday at Wilkes University. King's then fell in its next game to second-seeded host Wilkes. With the split, King's (35-6) moves into the losers bracket while Wilkes, which defeated Lycoming 3-0 in its first-round game, moves to the championship round In King's opening contest, the game remained scoreless until the third inning when FDU's Kelly Nover hit a first-pitch home run over the centerfield fence. After King’s hurler Nikki Kotula surrendered three straight walks, Amanda Morrison delivered a two-run single to right field to give the Devils a 3-0 lead. King’s would to answer in its half of the inning when Annie Drimones and Abbey Knoblauch hit one-out singles, but a fielders choice and a fly out to centerfield by Kotula ended the threat. The Lady Monarchs missed out on another opportunity in the fourth when Kate Shiffer walked and Leanne Harvey reached base on an error. With runners at first and second with one out, Cassy Shiffer flied out to right field before Caitlin McAndrew grounded out to end the inning King’s finally broke through in the fifth when Drimones led off with a single and Knoblauch reached base on an error. Maggio would single to score Drimones before Kotula followed with a two-run hit up the middle. Mari Valonis would then single to left, moving Kotula to third. Kate Shiffer would deliver an RBI single to right field as Valonis advance to third. Leanne Harvey then followed with an infield single, allowing Valonis to score as King’s took a 5-3 lead. King's added its final run in the sixth when Maggio singled and moved to third on a base hit by Valonis. Kate Shiffer then followed with a run-scoring single to give the Lady Monarchs a 6-3 lead. Shiffer led King's 12-hit attack by going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Maggio was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs while Drimones was 2-for-3 with a run. Valonis added two hits while Kotula was 1-for-4 with two RBI. Kotula picked up the pitching victory, allowing just four hits, striking four and walking seven batters.  Morrison had two hits and two RBI to pace FDU. Julie Hartnett took the loss, allowing six runs, five earned while striking out two batters. In the second game, Wilkes was led by the arm of two-time Freedom Conference Pitcher of the Year Laurie Agresti who struck out 11 batters and allowed just three hits. Wilkes would strike first when Nadine Taylor gave the Lady Colonels a 1-0 led with a second-inning leadoff solo home run. The Lady Monarchs looked to answer in the third when Drimones reached base on a one-out bunt single. But Knoblauch's bunt attempt on a hit-and-run popped up to first base and Drimones was thrown out at first base for an inning-ending double play. In the fourth, Wilkes pushed across three crucial runs when Taylor reach base with a leadoff single, then moved to second on a base hit by Melisa Bracone. After both runners advanced on a double-steal, Erin Plank knocked in a run with an infield single to give the Lady Colonels a 2-0 lead. After an infield out Allison Grohol smacked a two-run double to left centerfield to increase the lead to 4-0. King's would attempt to counter in the bottom of the frame when Maggio drew a leadoff walk, but Agresti would sit down the next three batters on a strikeout, pop up, and ground out to keep the Lady Monarchs off the board. In the fifth, Wilkes' Jan Nunemacher drew a two-out walk. After pinch runner Katie Orr moved to second on a wild pitch, Taylor then drilled an RBI double to left center to push the score to 5-0. The Lady Colonels would add two more runs in the sixth when Allison Grohl would reach base on an infield single and scored when Dalton came though with an RBI triple down the first base line. Dalton would then score on an errant throw to third as the Lady Colonels took a 7-0 lead. King's would finally reach the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth when Drimones reached base on a bunt single, followed by an RBI double by Knoblauch to left centerfield. After Kotula and Kate Shiffer were both hit by pitches to load the bases, Agresti would strike out Shreaves to end the inning. In its final at-bat, Agresti would sit down the Lady Monarchs in order to seal the victory. King's will resume play Saturday at 11:00 a.m. when the Lady Monarchs face the survivor of the FDU-Lycoming elimination game at 9:00 a.m. Should King's win, it would advance to the 1:00 p.m. title game against Wilkes where the Lady Monarchs would have to beat the Lady Colonels in consecutive games. The final game, if necessary, is slated for 3:00 p.m. Saturday Schedule Game 4:  FDU vs. Lycoming, 9:00 am Game 5:  King's vs. FDU/Lycoming winner, 11:00 am Game 6:  Game 5 winner vs. Wilkes (Championship #1), 1:00 pm Game 7: Same teams (if necessary), 3:00 pm

King's College 133 North River Street  Wilkes-Barre, PA  18711 1 (888) KINGS PA Questions or comments to:  Bob Ziadie, King's College Sports Information Director Best if viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher.