Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Misericordia University softball team struggled to slow down a potent King's offense, falling to the Monarchs 5-2 and 15-4 on Thursday afternoon at the Betzler Athletic Complex.

With the losses, MU fell to 3-11 overall and 0-4 in Freedom Conference play while King's improved to 14-2 and 4-0 in the Freedom.

King's jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in game one when Erin Beane singled and later scored on a Tina Seber base hit. A Katie Kowalski solo home run in the top of the fourth would double the Monarch lead to 2-0, but MU answered in the bottom half of the inning when Katie Kelly and Amanda Polaha scored on a Lady Monarch throwing error to tie the score at 2-2.

MU retired the side in the top of the fifth and appeared as if they would do so in the sixth as well, but a two-out fielding error kept King's alive, and the Lady Monarchs took advantage with three straight singles to plate three runs and take a 5-2 lead.

Polaha was 3-3 with a double to lead the Cougar offense in game one while Kowalski led King's by going 2-3 with two runs and two RBI. Nicolette Pizzo and Cardone each added two hits for the Lady Monarchs.

Caitlin Cromley took the loss for MU, allowing five runs (two earned) on ten hits while striking out three. Brittany Haight earned the win in relief for King's, tossing four scoreless innings.

In the nightcap, the Lady Monarchs once again took a first-inning lead when a Cardone double to center scored Jenn Harnischfeger. Cardone later scored on a Cougar error to put King's up 2-0.

King's added four more runs in the second behind a Seber two-run double and an RBI single by Maggie Gola.

The Cougars showed some signs of life in the bottom of the second when Jenn Cory blasted a bases-loaded double to the center field fence to score Kat LaBrie and Megan Hardy. Mallory Getts followed that with a sacrifice fly that scored Polaha to cut MU's deficit to 6-3.

King's responded with two more runs in the third on a Gola two-run single, as a two-out error once again proved to be the Cougars' downfall. 

Megan Hardy smashed a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the fourth to close the gap to 8-4, but that would be the last offense the Cougars would manage as King's scored three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to end the game due to the eight-run mercy rule.

Cory was the lone MU player with multiple hits, going 3-3 with a double to lead the Cougar offense. Cromley took the loss in relief, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on 11 hits in four and one-third innings of action.

Gola finished 4-for-5 with seven RBI while Cardone went 4-for-5 with four runs to lead Kings, Haight earned another relief victory for the Lady Monarchs, allowing five hits and one run with four strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings.

MU will look to get back on track on Tuesday when they host Susquehanna in a non-conference doubleheader.