Center Valley, PA (March 23, 2013) – It took a while but the DeSales University softball team finally returned to the diamond following its spring trip to Tucson, AZ playing for the first time in 16 days, recording two come from behind wins, 7-6 and 6-4, over Freedom Conference foe Wilkes University on a sunny but brisk Saturday afternoon.

In game one, the Bulldogs were cruising along leading 4-0 thru three innings after a two-RBI double from sophomore Carly Bartholomew in the second inning and RBI singles from senior Julie Brugger and sophomore Shelby Wilson in the third inning, while freshman DJ McCauley had a no-hitter thru three frames.

But then Wilkes caught fire, scoring three times in the fourth, once in the fifth, and twice more in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead entering the bottom of the sixth.  DSU responded though as senior Courtney McKenna hit her first career home run to cut the margin down to one run and McCauley doubled home freshman Emily Hockman, who re-entered as a pinch-runner to tie the game at six.

After McCauley worked around a one-out single in the seventh, Wilson singled to lead off the seventh and moved to third on a double from freshman Michelle Gessner.  After an intentional walk to load the bases, Bartholomew flew out to centerfield but McKenna came thru once again, lacing a single to left, scoring Wilson with the game-winning run.

McCauley earned the win, her third of the season with seven innings, scattering nine hits and allowing six runs, while striking out seven.  Sophomore Taylor Kelly had two hits, Brugger had two hits, Wilson had three hits and scored twice, Gessner had three hits, Bartholomew had two hits and two RBIs, and McKenna finished with three hits and two RBIs to lead a 16-hit game one attack.

In the second game, McCauley hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at one and an RBI double from Gessner and an RBI single from Wilson in the third gave DSU a 3-2 lead.  The Bulldogs still led 3-2 entering the fifth when the Colonels struck for two runs to take a 4-3 lead, but once again DeSales had the answer as Wilson knocked two home with a one-out double and Hockman knocked in Wilson with a single, two batters later to give DSU a 6-4 lead.

Senior Brittany Wilson allowed just one base-runner over the final two innings as she earned the win in relief of starter, sophomore Rachel Vogel.  McCauley had two hits and scored twice, Wilson finished off an enormous day at the plate with two hits and three RBIs, and Hockman also had two hits in the win.

The Bulldogs are right back to action tomorrow when they host Kean University in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at Noon.