WASHINGTON - After  midweek wins at Gallaudet University, The Catholic University of America softball team hosted the University of Scranton in their Landmark Conference opener on Sunday at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy. The Cardinals dropped game one 5-2 and came back to win game two 7-3 over the Royals.

The split brings the Cardinals to 8-6 on the season and 1-1 in the Landmark, while the Royals fall to 6-4 on the year and sit at 1-1 in the Conference.

In game one Megan Colline took the rubber for the Cardinals and pitched to 29 batters. Colline was charged with the loss while throwing two strike outs and having just two earned runs of the Royals five.

Catholic's game looked promising as the Cards  had the first two  runs of the game. In the first inning, with a runner on second, Erin Adams sent a single into right center to score Amy Laughner. Two innings later Kristina Lozupone took her turn at an RBI, bringing in Rebekah Hoisl with a line drive down the left field line.

With a 2-0 lead through three innings the CUA defense gave up three runs to the Royals in the fourth followed by one run in the fifth and one in the seventh to fall behind 5-2. The Scranton defense was able to hold Catholic to their two runs to finish game one with the win.

Carrying their game one victory momentum into game two the Royals got on the scoreboard in top of the first inning to start the game 1-0. The Cardinals answered in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of their own.

Adams entered the batter's box with runners on first and third to send a single down the left field line, bringing home Hoisl. Alyssa Keane made it to first during her at bat to load the bases, and Christy Sanchez was hit by the pitch to score Luzapone. With the bases still loaded the Royals walked Victoria Marcavage to score Adams, for CUAs' third run of the game, before ending the inning.

The Cards scored runs in five of the six following innings? leaving just the fifth inning open. Adams drove in Laugher off a center field double in the second and Keane launched a solo homer over the fence in the third inning. Luzupone earned an RBI in the fourth scoring Hoisl while Sanchez scored Macneill in the sixth for the Cardinals 7-3 victory.

CUA's Sydney McGrath earned the win from the rubber in game two, pitching all seven innings with four strike outs.

Catholic continues Landmark action on Thursday, April 2, with a double header against Moravian at home. First pitch of game one is at 3 p.m. and game two will commence 20 minutes following the conclusion of game one.