Royals Rally For Doubleheader Sweep

JESSUP, Pa. – The University of Scranton softball team used a big fifth inning to rally for a 12-4 victory in the second game against Hunter College on Monday evening, giving the Royals a doubleheader sweep at the Jessup Youth Sports Complex. Scranton won the opener, 8-3.

The two victories improved the Royals to 25-7, moving them within two wins of tying the single-season school record set in 2008 when they went 27-14. The victory also snapped a three-game losing streak for Scranton.

Scranton trailed in the nightcap, 4-3, entering the bottom of the fifth, but the bats broke out for eight runs in the inning. Freshman outfielder Gabrielle Santarelli (Peckville, Pa./Valley View) got things started with a three-run triple, senior shortstop Kelly Zaccheo (Scranton, Pa./West Scranton) and junior right fielder Jamie Shackles (Philadelphia, Pa./Little Flower) had RBI singles, and sophomore third baseman Caitlin McHenry (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) capped the inning with her second homer of the day and sixth of the season, a three-run shot.

The Royals added a run in the sixth to end the game via the eight-run rule.

Santarelli finished a homer shy of the cycle, drove in three runs and scored two more. Junior left fielder Kaitlyn Frazza (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) finished with three hits, two RBIs, a run and a stolen base, Zaccheo and Shackles each had two hits, two RBIs and a run, and senior first baseman Tia Dimou (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh) singled doubled and scored three times.

Hunter (14-26) was led by senior right fielder Josephine Estevez (Bronx, N.Y./Bronx Lab), who singled, homered, drove in a run and scored a run.

In the opener, Scranton rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to roll to the 8-3 win. McHenry doubled, homered, drove in a pair and scored a run, Zaccheo doubled twice, scored twice and had an RBI, and Shackles singled twice, drove in two and scored two more.

Senior pitcher Christine Capalbo (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) improved to 14-2 on the season by allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out six in four innings. She is now one win from tying the single-season school record of 15 wins, set by Isabel Mendez in 2008.

Senior catcher Arielle Zieff (Staten Island, N.Y./Port Richmond) hit a two-run homer in the opener for Hunter.

McHenry finished the day with five RBIs for the Royals, giving her 40 on the season, which is the fourth-most in a single season in Scranton history.

The Royals will have a chance to tie the single-season school record for wins when it hosts King's College in a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 1, at 4 p.m. at the Jessup Youth Sports Complex. The doubleheader is Scranton's final tuneup for the Landmark Conference playoffs, which open when third-seeded Scranton takes on second-seeded Moravian on Friday, May 3, at 1 p.m. at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa.

Story provided by Scranton Sports Information