CUA Sweeps Susquehanna in Extra Innings
Ager's hit gives Cards the 2-1 victory

3/24/2008

WASHINGTON - The Catholic University softball team got its Landmark Conference season underway Monday with a sweep of the Susquehanna University Crusaders (5-7, 0-2 Landmark).  The Cards handily won the first game 11-5 but needed an extra inning in the second for the 2-1 victory.  With the wins, CUA improves to 9-5 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.

The Cards scored three runs to open the first game of the doubleheader thanks to Lynn Brown's (Laurel, Md./Saint Vincent Pallotti) two-run double and a fielder's choice from Steph Clemente (Warren, N.J./Immaculata).  The Crusaders tied it up in the top of the second but from that point on CUA staged an 8-2 rally over the remaining innings to get the win.  Kara Walker (New Milford, N.J./Holy Angels) hit a two-run double in the third and Kat Ager (Olney, Md./Good Counsel) added a homer in the fourth that brought two players across the plate.  A pitching change by Susquehanna in the fifth didn't do much good as CUA posted seven hits off of her and four runs making the final 11-5.

Ager, Walker, Rachel Baker (Riverdale, Md./Saint Vincent Pallotti) and Sophie Gage (Baltimore, Md./Mount de Sales) all went 2-4 at the plate to lead the Cardinals.  Walker had a team-best three RBI while Ager and Brown each contributed two.  CUA had 12 hits to SU's six but two errors for the game.  Clemente was awarded the win in the circle pitching the complete game with six strikeouts.

The Cardinal bats were much quieter in the second game as the weather turned chilly.  The Cardinals' only run of regulation came in the bottom of the first from the lead off batter Heather Holley (Owings, Md./Northern).  The senior reached first thanks to an error by the second baseman and advanced to second on Kelly Lukacs' (Chesterfield, N.J./Northern Burlington Regional) at bat.  Up came Ager in the three spot and brought her home off of a long single to right field.  The Crusaders tied it up on a tough inning for the Cards as a wild pitch and an error aided the SU runner.  After four scoreless innings, the Cardinal defense managed to hold the Crusaders in the top of the eighth despite a lead off double.  In the bottom of the inning Baker reached on a hit to left field but couldn't advance as CUA quickly got two outs.  Ager once again came up in the three spot and crushed one to center allowing Baker to make it home for the 2-1 victory.

Ager was the lone Cardinal with multiple hits in the game posting two, CUA had five overall while Susquehanna managed just three.  The Crusader defense was hurt by four errors although the Cards also struggled with two.  Stacie Goddard got the win in the circle for the Cardinals pitching all eight innings with as many strikeouts.

CUA will host Dickinson on Tuesday at 3 p.m.