KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Catholic University softball team picked up two wins in the Spring Games today to move to 5-3 on the season. After last night's win over La Roche, the Cardinals have won three straight contests. 

GAME ONE - Catholic 4-2 Marian (Wis.)

Amy Gastright homered and drove in three runs while Katie Hurd earned her first win of the season in the circle for Catholic in Tuesday morning's 4-2 win over Marian. Three of Catholic's five hits in the game went for extra bases.

Catholic had runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings before striking in the third inning. Alex Garza drew a walk to open the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Amanda Gomez. Garza moved up to third on a passed ball before Gastright singled to left to score Garza and put Catholic up 1-0. Katie Scolese followed with a double to left, moving Gastright up to third. Marian starter Emalee Depa hurled a wild pitch, allowing Gastright to score and Catholic to take a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals extended the lead in the top of the fifth inning with Gastright coming through big once again. Gomez reached on a one-out single and advanced on a wild pitch. However, where she was on the basepaths mattered little as Gastright crushed a homer to left, putting the Cardinals ahead 4-0. 

After four scoreless innings from Hurd, Marian broke through in the bottom of the fifth, getting a double from Julia Corona and a two-run homer from Ariana Schliepp to cut the Catholic lead in half. Hurd retired the final two batters of the inning, giving her a final line of 5.0 innings, three hits, two runs, and three strikeouts. Justina Benvenuto pitched the final two innings, keeping the Sabres off the scoreboard to pick up the save and secure a Catholic win. 

Sarah Spaeth added a double in the contest for Catholic while Gomez added a stolen base to her tally in the win. 

GAME TWO: Catholic 2-1 Illinois College

The Cardinals rode strong pitching and high-level production from newcomers to a slim victory over a 2022 NCAA Tournament team in game two.

Freshman Aubrynn Arcement was brilliant in the circle, pitching 5.0 innings of two-hit softball. She held the Lady Blue to just one hit in the first five innings before allowing a lead-off single in the sixth to end her day. She struck out four batters.

The Cardinals were able to hold Illinois College to just one just in the sixth as Olivia Stinchcomb came in to pitch the final six outs of the contest. Although the Lady Blue pushed across one run on a double-steal, Stinchcomb got Catholic back into the dugout with a lead and ultimately earned the two-inning save, after stranding a runner on second to end the game in the seventh.

At the plate, the Cardinals took the lead in the second inning. Scolese led off the inning with a double before Arcement followed with a following. After a Spaeth groundout, junior Kaitlyn Murphy drove a fly ball to center field that allowed Scolese to score the contest's first run.

Catholic doubled their lead in the third when Gastright continued her hot day at the plate and drove a two-out double to right field, scoring Garza from second base.

The Cardinals will have an off day tomorrow before returning to the field for another doubleheader on Thursday.Bruce McConkey's team will take on Otterbein and Husson, with the first pitch of the opening contest scheduled for 9 a.m.