WASHINGTON – The Cardinals dropped a doubleheader to
Susquehanna on Saturday afternoon, falling 7-6 in the opener and
8-5 in the second game. The Crusaders rode five first run
innings to the game one win, and in game two the Cardinals had a
seventh-inning rally ended with two runners on.
In game one, Susquehanna jumped out to a big lead early, with five
runs in the first. Kathryn Gilbert singled in two Crusaders,
while Madison Clark brought home a pair of teammates with a
double.
Megan Rizzi hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the first to make
it a four-run lead for Susquehanna, and the Cardinals got within
one with three more runs in the second.
Nina Curto walked to start things off and moved down to second on
an Erin McMakin ground out. Rose Shaver then singled home
Curto, and two batters later Amy Laughner doubled in Shaver and Sam
Daubman.
Susquehanna upped its lead to 7-4 with a pair of runs in the
fourth, which came on a Lisa Finizio two-run double, but CUA
battled back and plated two runs of its own in the fifth to again
get within one.
Mel Galella delivered the big blow with a two-run homer that also
scored Rizzi. That unfortunately turned out to be
CUA's final runs though, with the Cardinals unable to score
in the sixth or seventh.
The Crusaders' Sarah Hoffman earned the win in the circle by going
3.0 innings and allowing four runs, with Allison Cullen earning the
save after a 4.0 inning relief performance.
Kerri Apicella was dealt the loss for CUA after she surrendered
two runs on four hits.
In game number-two, CUA went in front when Galella doubled in
Tracey Scanlon in the first, but Susquehanna responded with two
runs in the second to take the lead.
CUA came right back and tied the game at two with a single run in
its half of the second, which came on Rizzi's RBI single.
The Crusaders grabbed the lead back with a single run in the
fourth, and five more in the fifth put the visitors on top 8-2.
The Cardinals continued to hang on and cut the deficit in half
with three runs in the sixth. Laughner doubled to lead things
off and Taylor Stockinger followed with a single. Scanlon
then knocked in Laughner with a double and Rizzi brought in
Stockinger with a single.
Later in the inning, Curto's sac fly to centerfield scored
Scanlon and the Cards were down by just three.
CUA gave it one final try in the seventh, with Daubman reaching on
an error and Stockinger registering a one-out single. A
Scanlon fielder's choice left CUA with only one out and Rizzi
popped out to short to end it.
Despite giving up 16 hits in seven innings, Morgan Lewis earned
the win for Susquehanna, while Apicella took the game two loss
after surrendering eight runs on 12 hits.
CUA closes out its weekend on Sunday when the Cardinals welcome
Shenandoah to Washington for a doubleheader. Start time of
game one is set for 1 p.m.
