CLERMONT, Fla. – The Catholic University softball team split its final two games of the Spring Games on Thursday afternoon to conclude a 7-3 spring break trip in Florida. The Cardinals defeated Washington & Jefferson 5-3 and then narrowly fell to No. 22 Manhattanville 9-8 to close out the trip. 

Game 1: Catholic 5 | Washington & Jefferson 3 

A five-run third inning lifted Catholic over the Presidents in a 5-3 win to start the action on Thursday.

Five hits, including a 2-RBI double from senior Kacie Badolato, contributed to the five-run frame that gave the Cardinals the lead after Washington & Jefferson scored two runs in the top half of the fifth. Junior Giselle Diaz drove in Badolato with a two-out single to cap the momentum-shifting inning. 

The Presidents (4-6) responded with another run in the sixth, but it was not enough as Catholic notched its fourth-straight win. 

Senior Claire Sturek earned her fourth win on the mound for the Cardinals, striking out seven in 5.1 innings. Freshman left-hander Cat Connell came in to close out the ballgame with 1.2 scoreless innings, adding two strikeouts. 

Game 2: Manhattanville 9 | Catholic 8 

The Cardinals (7-5) came close to a second top-25 upset victory after knocking off No. 14 Ithaca 3-0 on Monday, but ultimately fell just short in the 9-8 defeat. 

The Valiants (4-2) jumped out to an early lead with two first-inning runs and five total runs unanswered for a 5-0 advantage after five innings. Catholic's bats came alive in the sixth, however, for an eight-run frame to take the lead. 

Just one hit from Diaz was all the Cardinals had to show for before the sixth, but the visitors notched five base-knocks in the sixth as the team batted around in a wild inning. Junior Taylor Forgen doubled to right center, scoring two runs to start the scoring. She came around to score on the next at-bat thanks to an RBI-single by fellow junior Juliet Lodes. 

An RBI-single from McKenzie Plante and a Sabrina Scott RBI-sacrifice fly added to runs via the bases-loaded walk and wild pitches to bring Catholic's tally to eight total runs in the inning. 

Down 8-6 in their final at-bat, Manhattanville delivered with a clutch bases-clearing double that scored three runs to walk off with a 9-8 victory in the bottom of the seventh. 

Freshman Katie Hurd scattered seven hits on the mound in 4.1 innings pitched. Junior Allie Lajeunesse threw 2.1 innings in relief.