The Lancaster Bible College softball team opened the season with two victories for the first time since 1993, as the Chargers swept a doubleheader from Wells on Saturday in Aurora, N.Y. The Chargers took the first game, 12-1 in five innings, and then won game two, 9-1 in six innings. Lancaster Bible is 2-0 overall and in North Eastern Athletic Conference play, while the Express dropped to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in NEAC action.
 
Game 1
Lancaster Bible 12, Wells 1 (5 innings)
How it Happened: Lancaster Bible opened the scoring in the top of the first, as Sonja Nelson and Phoebe Clemens reached base via walks, and scored on Nicole DeKok's double down the left field line that made it 2-0. DeKok scored on an error a batter later, and Alyssa Paulson had an RBI groundout later in the inning to make it 4-0 in favor of the Chargers.
 
The Chargers scored using another error by the Express in the second inning, and then made it 6-0 on a hit from Paulson early in the third inning. Sydney Wooden singled later in the inning, and another error by Wells scored Wooden and Paulson to make it 8-0.
 
Wells got a run back in its half of the third inning, but after Clemens singled to open the fourth, DeKok followed with a triple, and Lancaster Bible restored its eight-run lead. The Chargers tacked on three more runs in the fifth inning, as Hope Hodges and Bryanna Hoover scored on an error, and Adalyn Steiner had an RBI single later in the inning that scored DeKok. All of the offense was more than enough DeKok who scattered five hits over five innings and struck out four.
 
Inside the Box Score: DeKok pitched all five innings, and allowed just one run, and walked one, in addition to her four strikeouts…Steiner was 3-for-4 with an RBI, while DeKok was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored…Wooden added two hits, while Clemens was 1-for-3 with two runs scored…Wells committed seven errors in game one.
 
Game 2
Lancaster Bible 9, Wells 1
How it Happened: The Chargers started quickly again in game two, as DeKok doubled home Clemens and Hoover who had reached base earlier in the evening. Steiner reached on a fielder's choice later in the inning, and DeKok came across the plate to make it 3-0.
 
DeKok worked out a jam in the bottom half of the first inning, and Lancaster Bible added two more runs to its lead in the second inning, as DeKok singled home Hoover again, and Kendra Brown singled home Clemens a batter later to make it 5-0. The Express scored once in the bottom of the second, and the game remained 5-1 into the fourth when Paulson singled home DeKok who had walked to lead off the inning.
 
Lancaster Bible scored three more times in the sixth inning, as Steiner singled with one out, and Paulson tripled to score Steiner, and Wooden followed with a single that scored Paulson. Hodges put down a sacrifice bunt to score Wooden, and DeKok retired the side in order in the sixth inning to secure the victory.
 
Inside the Box Score: DeKok was tremendous again in game two, as she allowed six hits and just one run, while striking out five…DeKok was also 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored…Hoover finished 3-for-4 with two runs, while Paulson was also 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored…Wooden was 1-for-2 with two walks, and a run scored, while Nelson was 2-for-3 with two walks.
 
News & Notes: Lancaster Bible is now 2-2 all-time against Wells…This was the first matchup between the teams since April 22, 2018 when the Express won both games of a doubleheader in Aurora, N.Y…Lancaster Bible also won its first two games of the 1982 and 1986 seasons…Saturday's wins are the first for Lancaster Bible in nearly two years because of the COVID-19 Pandemic…The Chargers lost all eight of their games last season, and hadn't won since April 13, 2019 against Morrisville State…DeKok now has nine career pitching victories.
 
Up Next: Lancaster Bible is back in action on Tuesday when the Chargers host Penn St. Abington at 3 p.m…Both games can be seen on the Chargers Sports Network.