MADISON, N.J. — The Catholic University softball team opened Landmark Conference play on Sunday afternoon when they traveled to Madison for a doubleheader at Drew Softball Complex. The Cardinals (6-4, 1-1 LC) split two tight games, winning the first and dropping the second.

Junior Sammy Phillips drove in a run in each game while junior Katie Hurd earned a win on the mound in the first.

Game 1: Catholic 3, Drew 2

Catholic scored three runs on 13 hits to squeeze past Drew in the first game of the doubleheader. The Cardinals were led by freshman Amanda Gomez, sophomore Sophia Fike and Phillips at the plate, who went a combined 9-for-12 batting in the two, three and four spots in the lineup. 

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top of the second, when Phillips led off with a single. After Phillips advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by graduate student Allie Lajeunesse and advanced to third on a wild pitch, she scored on a single by Alex Garza.

In the bottom of the inning, Hurd was able to work out a jam to preserve the 1-0 Cardinal lead. After the Rangers loaded the bases via three hits in a row, Hurd got a ground ball to the first baseman who was able to cut down the run at home. Hurd then forced another ground ball to get out of the inning unscathed. 

Drew would level things in the bottom of the fourth on a lead-off, solo home run to left field.

The game remained tied until the seventh inning, when Catholic plated two runs that would ultimately be enough to secure the victory. Three straight hits off of Ranger starter Bailey Comeau did the job for the Cardinals.

After Gomez secured a one-out single, Fike doubled down the right field line, pushing two runners into scoring position. Phillips followed with an RBI single, plating Gomez and advancing Fike to third. Lajeunesse then grounded out to shortstop to push Fike across, extending the lead to 3-1. 

Drew's Paxtan Perry led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to cut the lead to 3-2 and turn up the pressure on the Cardinals. Hurd forced two groundouts before Madi Precht doubled down the left field line to put the tying run into scoring position. Hurd then produced her fifth and most important strike out of the game to end it and secure the victory. 

Hurd (4-2) claimed her fourth win of the season, throwing 105 pitches in the complete game effort. She allowed just two earned runs on eight hits and did not walk a batter. Comeau got the loss, falling to 4-3 on the season. 

Gomez went a perfect 4-for-4 with two singles, two doubles and one run scored while Fike hit 3-for-4 with two singles, one double and a run scored.

Game 2: Drew 5, Catholic 3

The Cardinals could not protect a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning of game two, as Drew hit a walk-off home run to come from behind and secure a split of the doubleheader.

Graduate student Makayla Czan got Catholic off to the perfect start, leading off the game with a home run down the left field line. Gomez followed with a single and eventually scored on a Lujeuness double to left center. Drew starting pitcher Teagan Bradley was then able to secure a pop out and a strikeout to limit the damage to 2-0 and strand two runners on base.

Drew responded immediately in the bottom of the first, as Bradley helped her own cause by hitting a two-out, two-run homer to tie the game.

Phillips hit back with a home run off her own, blasting one over the left field wall with two outs in the top of the third to reclaim the lead, 3-2. 

There would be no further scoring until the bottom of the seventh. After sophomore starting pitcher Justina Benvenuto sat the first batter of the inning down via a lineout, Drew's Delaney O'Donoghue singled to put the tying run on first. She advanced to second on a groundout which brought Catholic within one out of securing the victory. However, after a single by Precht, Molly O'Brien blasted a walk-off, three-run homer to win the game for the Rangers.

Benvenuto (2-2) got the loss despite pitching a solid game before the final innings. She worked 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, while striking out two. Bradley (5-1) gets the win after throwing 112 pitches.

Drew improves to 12-4 on the season and 1-1 in the Landmark Conference. 

The Cardinals now turn their attention to a busy upcoming weekend at home. They will host two doubleheaders, with Washington College on Saturday and with York (Pa.) on Sunday. First pitch for both is scheduled for 1 p.m.