ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College softball program split a pair of Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) games with Wilson College (10-2, 5-1 CSAC) on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons (6-2, 6-2 CSAC) lost game 1, 10-7, but were able to claim a 10-8 victory in Game 2.

"What a great day," exclaimed Head Coach Kim Begley. "We came into the doubleheader with a game plan and our student-athletes stepped up."

GAME 1: Wilson would strike first, scoring a run in the first inning, but Cedar Crest would counter with two runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead. The Phoenix didn't take long to tie in up, as they evened the score at 2-2 after three innings of play. Wilson put up four runs in the fourth to regain the lead and push the score to 6-2. The Black and Yellow would get one run in the fourth coming off a solo homerun but would still be trailing 6-3. That score would remain until the seventh inning, when the Phoenix tacked on four more runs to push their lead to 10-3. Cedar Crest would fight back, scoring four runs of their own, but that would not be enough to mount a comeback, dropping game 1, 10-7.

Six Falcons combined for 12 hits, with graduate student Nicole Santaniello (Kissimmee, Fl./Osceola) going a clean 4-for-4, with a solo home run, her second of the season, and scored twice. Junior Delaney VanBuskirk (Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge) went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, followed by a 2-for-4 performance by freshman Renee Snyder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland), who crossed the plate for a run. Junior Rachel Savini (Wilmington, DE/Delaware Military Academy) and senior Patricia Dalton (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) both went 1-for-4, but those lone hits were big blasts for home runs. Savini connected for a two-run home run, her first-collegiate homer, as Dalton recorded her first home run of the 2021 season.

Begley added, "We had some big bats in the first game, with homers from Dalton and Santaniello. Rachel Savini (Wilmington, DE/Delaware Military Academy) also came up huge with the first home run of her career."

Junior Skyler Bilous (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) started in the circle for Cedar Crest, where she threw for 6.0 innings and faced 31 batters, walked one, and struck out one. She allowed six runs, three earned, on 11 hits. Freshman Corinne Mundy (Philadelphia, Pa./The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush) entered the game and threw for 1.0 inning, allowing four earned runs on three hits in the 10 batters she faced. Bilous earned her first loss of the season, making her record (3-1) overall.
 

GAME 2: Similar to game 1, Wilson got on the board in the first inning, scoring twice, but Cedar Crest would have a big inning, notching six runs to take a 6-2 lead. The Phoenix would add two more in the second, but the Black and Yellow added one of their own off another solo home run, putting the score at 7-3 after two innings. A two-run double in the third inning would increase the Falcons lead to five, 9-4, but Wilson would get run one across the plate in the next three innings, cutting Cedar Crest's lead to 9-7. In the bottom half of the sixth inning, the Falcons blasted a homer to give them an insurance run and pushed the lead back to three, 10-7. Wilson would have an opportunity in the seventh and managed to get just one run across the plate, as Cedar Crest defeated the Phoenix 10-8.

Four different Falcons each recorded two-hit performances in Game 2, Renee Snyder (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Senior Riley Tremblay (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) had two base hits, two stolen bases, and a run scored, as Rachel Savini (Wilmington, DE/Delaware Military Academy) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Nicole Santaniello (Kissimmee, Fl./Osceola) had a double that plated a runner and scored one run herself.

There were also four other Falcons to reach on a base hit, with Patricia Dalton (Northampton, Pa./Northampton Area) and Dallas Horning (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) blasting home runs in the victory. That was Dalton's second of the day and Horning's first of the 2021 campaign. Senior Ashley Heller (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) recorded a base knock and Delaney VanBuskirk (Bridgeville, Del./Woodbridge) earned a base hit that drove in two Falcons.

"I cannot say enough about Delaney, her composure, leadership, and consistency at the plate," continued Begley.

Graduate student, Breanna Young (Easton, PA/Wilson Area), got the start in game 2, throwing for 3.0 innings, giving five runs, only two earned, on six hits while striking out two of the 20 batters she faced. Young was replaced by junior Skyler Bilous (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) in the third inning, where she finished the game throwing 4.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits. Young ultimately earned the victory, putting her at (2-1) this season. Bilous closed out the game, recording her first save.

"We had big defensive moments as well, that helped our pitchers in the circle. Overall, I am really happy with today's performance and am looking ahead to our game with Centenary," concluded Begley.

Cedar Crest has off until next Saturday, April 17, when the host Centenary University at Blaschak Field. First-pitch is set for 12:00 pm for this CSAC doubleheader. Be sure to tune in to cedarcrestathletics.com for all updates, live stats, and live stream links.

For the full Cedar Crest Softball schedule, CLICK HERE!