Scranton Lions Softball Drops a Pair in Schuylkill 

By: Ross Turetsky, Penn State Scranton Athletics 

On Monday afternoon, the visiting Penn State Scranton Lions softball squad lost both ends of their rescheduled key doubleheader against conference rival Penn State Schuylkill by a score of 8-0 in the opening game and 9-0 in the game two nightcap affair. With these tough pair of defeats, Scranton sees their overall record move to 6-17 and they are now 5-7 in their all-important league play schedule entering the final week of their 2025 campaign.  

In the first contest, the hometown Schuylkill Lions tallied a couple of runs in the bottom half of the third inning, a five spot in the fifth, and added one more for good measure in sixth frame to ensure their dominant eight run triumph by game's end. Overall Schuylkill held a commanding 13-0 lead in the hit department over Scranton.  

With Scranton being held hitless in the opener, their only two base runners to reach came from their dynamic sophomore duo of catcher Genevieve Moyles and first baseman Kaleena Lukasewicz who each reached base via the walk.  

Meanwhile, Schuylkill had a robust five players put up stellar multi-hit ball games in the contest, as sophomore center fielder Jade Weiss, senior pitcher Emma Crisswell, junior shortstop Mackenzie Carl, sophomore third baseman Keira Devor, and senior right fielder Alyssa Youst set the pace offensively for their ball club. Weiss went 2-4 from the dish, scored twice, knocked one in, and stole a base to boot. Crisswell also was 2-4 at the plate, crushing a home run, tallied a trio of runs, and had a pair of RBI. Carl went a perfect 2-2, drawing two walks, scored a run, and drove one in. Devor was 2-4, drilling a nice double, and had an RBI. Youst was 2-3 and drove in a couple of runs. Schuylkill's other three hits came off the bats of sophomore Megan Marks who scored once and had an RBI, senior left fielder Morgan Kleckner who had a double, and fellow senior, second baseman Cealinn McGroarty who also scored a run in the battle. 

On the pitching side of things, Scranton sophomore hurler Aryanna Bodge started on the mound and she went the entire ball game tossing a gritty five and 1/3 innings, allowing seven earned runs, 13 hits, walked three, and fanned a hat trick of Schuylkill batters during the festivities. Meanwhile, Crisswell started on the bump for her Schuylkill squad and threw a sparkling six shutout innings of no-hit ball, walked only two, and struck out an awe-inspiring 10 Scranton hitters in her victorious dominant effort.  

Meanwhile, in the game two nightcap Schuylkill scored early and often, as they tallied a quartet of runs in the first inning, a pair in the second, one in the third, and a couple more in the bottom of the fourth frame to cruise to their commanding nine run triumph by game's end. Overall Schuylkill out hit Scranton by a large 14-2 margin in the showdown.  

In the match Scranton's two base hits came off the bats of Moyles and Lukasewicz who each went 1-2 at the plate in the nightcap.  

Meanwhile, Schuylkill once again had five players put up stalwart multi-hit performances in game two, as Devor, Weiss, Marks, McGroarty, and sophomore catcher Emily Brent led the way on the offensive side of the ball for their squad. Devor was a flawless 3-3 at the dish, hammering two doubles, scored twice, and knocked in a couple of runs. Weiss went 2-3, swiped a base, and scored a run. Marks was a perfect 2-2 at the plate, with a run scored, and an RBI. McGroarty went 2-3 and had a pair of RBI. Brent was also 2-3, cranked a double, and had a run scored. Schuylkill's other trio of hits came off the bats of Carl who smashed a double, scored twice, and had an RBI, Youst was 1-3 and knocked in two, and last but certainly not least, Kleckner also went 1-3, with a run, and an RBI. 

On the pitching side of things, Scranton had their stand-out senior pitcher Olivia Shimonis toss all four innings of the ball game, surrendering nine earned runs, 14 hits, and walked two batters. Meanwhile, Crisswell started game two and earned another dominant complete game victory on the mound, as she threw five shutout frames, allowing just two hits, walked no one, and struck out six Scranton hitters.  

Now veteran Penn State Scranton softball head coach Mar Tsakonas and her 6-17 ball club, who are 5-7 in league play, will look to snap their mini two game losing skid when they next go on the road this Friday for a non-conference doubleheader showdown at Genesee Community College, with first pitch scheduled for a 3pm start time. Meanwhile, Penn State Schuylkill softball head coach Darle Cresswell and his 13-14 squad, who are a rock solid 8-2 in league play, will look to extend their winning streak to three straight games when they next host conference rival Penn State Mont Alto this Friday night under the lights, with first pitch for the big doubleheader slated for a 5:30pm start.