ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Cedar Crest College softball team dominated Lehman College in a doubleheader on Friday at Cynthia L. Blaschak Field, securing an 18-3 victory in the first game and a commanding 14-0 shutout in the second in its season-opening doubleheader. The Falcons showcased their offensive prowess with a total of 29 hits across both games, including multiple doubles and triples, and displayed strong pitching performances. With the sweep, Head Softball Coach Kim Begley recorded her 100^th career head coaching victory.

Game One – Cedar Crest 18, Lehman 3 (Five Innings)

In the first game, Cedar Crest exploded with 11 runs in the second inning after taking a 5-3 lead in the first. Key contributions came from sophomore Kaitlyn Stock (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh), who recorded four hits and scored four runs, and sophomore Abby Adams (Suffolk, Va./Lakeland), who drove in six runs, including a triple and a double. Sophomore Emily Christopher (Palmerton, Pa./Palmerton Area) also played a crucial role, adding two hits and three RBI. In the circle, sophomore Alexis Acevedo (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) pitched a complete game, allowing no earned runs over five innings while striking out five batters.

The game began with the Falcons capitalizing on defensive errors by the Lightning in the first inning. After a single by Stock and a walk to senior Laney Ferraro (Philadelphia, Pa./New Foundations Charter), Adams reached on an error by the right fielder, allowing Stock to score. Christopher followed with an RBI single, and Adams scored on a passed ball. Sophomore Kate Gronkowski (Hanover Township, Pa./Hanover Area Junior Senior) added an RBI single, giving Cedar Crest a 5-3 lead after one inning.

The second inning saw the Falcons extend its lead significantly with a total of 11 runs. Stock singled and eventually scored on a triple by Adams that drove in three runs. Christopher added to the tally with a single, and Gronkowski scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Brooke Trentler (Whiteford, Md./North Harford). The Falcons led 16-3 at the end of the second inning and finished the game with a final score of 18-3.

Game Two – Cedar Crest 14, Lehman 0 (Five Innings)

In the second game, Cedar Crest continued their dominance, beginning with a six-run first inning. Stock led off with a single to the pitcher, followed by sophomore Kylie Mastillo (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono) and Ferraro loading the bases. Adams drove in the first run, and passed balls allowed two more runs to score. Gronkowski and Trentler contributed with RBI singles, leading to a 6-0 advantage.

The third inning mirrored the first, as the Falcons added another six runs. Gronkowski led off with a single, followed by a triple from sophomore Madison Nadasi (Bushkill, Pa./East Stroudsburg North) that drove in a run. Trentler and Stock added RBI hits, and Mastillo tripled to bring in another run. By the end of the third inning, Cedar Crest held a commanding 12-0 lead.

The fourth inning saw the Falcons adding two more runs with Mastillo hitting a triple and Ferraro singling her home. Adams followed with a double, scoring Ferraro to increase the lead to 14-0. Lehman was unable to respond throughout the game, with sophomore Erin Gray (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) delivering an impressive performance in the circle, striking out eight batters and allowing just two hits for a complete game shutout.

Stock recorded three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs while scoring twice in the second game. Mastillo also shone with three hits, two triples, and three runs scored, while Ferraro contributed with two hits and two RBI.

Cedar Crest (2-0 overall) will now embark on its Spring Break Trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and will open play at the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic against Penn State Altoona on Friday, March 13, at 9:00 a.m. and against Penn State Schuylkill at 1:00 p.m. Lehman (0-2 overall) will return to action at Yeshiva University for a doubleheader on Sunday, March 8.