WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Catholic University softball team lost twice to Scranton University on Sunday 7-0, 3-2. The victories gave the Royals the series sweep for the weekend against the Cardinals. 

Catholic (11-7, 11-7 LC) scattered 10 hits across 14 innings of play with only two runs scored.

Sophomore Katie Hurd pitched a complete game in game one for the Cardinals while freshman Justina Benvenuto and senior Allie Lajeunesse split time in the circle for game two. 

Scranton 7, Catholic 0

Junior second baseman Bella Ronca led Catholic offensively when she went two-for-two at the plate with two singles. The third hit for the Cardinals came off Giselle Diaz's bat but did not produce any runs for the Cardinals. 

Hurd faced 37 batters on the mound. She recorded four strikeouts but allowed 10 hits, seven runs and four walks. She fell to 5-3 in the loss. 

Scranton scored four of their seven runs in the first inning on four hits, jumping ahead of Catholic for a comfortable lead. A wild pitch would advance a Royal home for a fifth run against the Cardinals followed by two more runs in the top of the fourth as the result of a Catholic fielding error. 

The Cardinals left three opportunities on the basepaths but a strong defensive performance by the Royals did not allow any runs to cross the plate. 

Scranton 3, Catholic 2

Stronger hitting from Catholic's offense challenged Scranton in game two but it was not enough to give the Cardinals a win. Five players scattered eight hits over the seven innings including a two-run RBI-double by Diaz for Catholic's only runs of the day. 

After three scoreless innings, sophomore third baseman Sarah Spaeth opened up the bottom of the third with a single to left field followed by Makayla Czan who drew a walk which advanced Spaeth to second. Sophomore left fielder Heather Berberich reached on a fielder's choice where Czan moved to second, causing Spaeth to be called out at third for interference.

With two outs, Diaz approached the plate with a double to left center to score Czan and Berberich for the 2-0 lead. 

The Cardinal's kept their lead until the top of the sixth inning when a string of hits put two Royals on the basepaths. With two outs, Scranton catcher Heather Alich blasted a three-run home run over the fence in left center for a one-run lead over Catholic.

With two more at-bats, the Cardinals could not catch up to the Royals and fell short. 

Benvenuto threw 5.2 innings and allowed five hits and one walk, striking out three and taking the loss falling to 2-2. Lajeunesse came in for the relief to pitch 1.1 innings recording two strikeouts. 

The Cardinals return to action on May 1 when they head to Susquehanna for a Landmark Conference doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.