WASHINGTON, D.C. - Catholic softball split Saturday's doubleheader versus Wilkes as it celebrated its eight seniors on Senior Day in D.C. The Cardinals sit at 18-8 on the season while Wilkes sits at 12-10.
Game 1 - Catholic 4, Wilkes 0
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Aubrynn Arcement scattered just three hits as she tossed a complete game shutout in a 4-0 victory over Wilkes in game one on Saturday.
Arcement was tremendous, striking out a career-high nine batters as she worked through the Colonel lineup to earn her ninth victory of the season.
The Cardinals grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as Kaitlyn Murphy drove in the first run of the game with a single to center.
Catholic loaded the bases with singles from Amy Gastright and Kerri Hatcliffe sandwiched around an Alex Garza hit by pitch. Murphy then singled to score Gastright to take the lead. However, Wilkes starter Sami Hendershott retired the next three batters to keep it a one-run contest.
A big three-run fourth inning helped provide some added insurance for Arcement as they extended the lead to 4-0. Hatcliffe and Murphy both registered one-out singles with Sam Grillo entering the game to run for Hatcliffe. After Hendershott induced a Caroline Adams fly-out, Toni Ruley singled through the right side to drive in Grillo. Next up, Sophia Fike smashed a double over the center fielder's head to score Murphy and Ruley for a 4-0 lead.
Arcement allowed base runners in the sixth and seventh but was never threatened as she finished out the victory in the circle.
Offensively, Fike, Gastright, Hatcliffe, and Murphy all had multiple hits with Fike recording three of the team's 13 knocks. Fike's double was the lone extra-base hit of the contest to go along with 15 singles between the two teams. With her three hits, Fike is up to .444 on the season with 12 extra-base hits and seven runs batted in. Gastright continues to hit, pushing her average up to .420 with another multi-hit game.
Game 2 - Wilkes 2, Catholic 0 (9 inn.)
Despite a strong outing in the circle from
Justina Benvenuto, Catholic fell in extra innings in game two of Saturday's doubleheader versus Wilkes. Starting game two on her senior day, Benvenuto tossed 6.0 scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and striking out four. Wilkes starter Lauren DeMarco went the distance, scattering five hits across a complete game shutout to earn her seventh victory of the season.
Katie Scolese had a multi-hit game for Catholic and
Mia Szap doubled, but the Cardinals were unable to generate much offense in the losing effort. Fike and Gastright each singled for Catholic while Gastright drew Catholic's lone walk of the contest.
Wilkes scored a pair of two-out runs off
Alex Pley in the top of the ninth inning to ultimately come away with a 2-0 win. Hana Cross drew a two-out walk and scored as Mia Butka doubled down the left field line to push the Colonels into the lead. Haylee Calaman singled to right center to score Butka and make it a 2-0 game.
The Cardinals had chances to win it in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings, but DeMarco worked out of both jams. In the seventh, Catholic had second and third with nobody out as Gastright singled and Garza reached on an error. Hatcliffe bounced one to short, but Gastright was gunned out at home and DeMarco struck out Murphy and got a fly ball from Adams to send the game to extras.
In the eighth, Fike hit a one-out single, followed by Szap's double, but a squeeze play gone wrong turned into a double play to end the frame and extend the game.
Catholic will have a quick turnaround as they take on Scranton tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
