Cards Show Two Different Teams in Split
Both games versus Drew go just five innings

3/29/2008

MADISON, N.J.- The Catholic University softball team had two polar opposite games on Saturday at Drew University (12-10, 2-2 Landmark) in a pair of Landmark Conference contests.  The Cards split with the Rangers winning the first game 9-0 but falling 10-1 in the second.  CUA is now 11-7 on the season and 3-1 in conference.

The Cardinal bats opened the game with a six-hit inning as CUA scored four quick runs.  Kat Ager (Olney, Md./Good Counsel), Kerri Convery (Carmel, N.Y./Mahopac), Lynn Brown (Laurel, Md./Saint Vincent Pallotti) and Steph Clemente (Warren, N.J./Immaculata) all picked up RBI in the inning.  The defense managed to hold the Rangers scoreless and in the third CUA added one more thanks to a double from Clemente.  The Cards put the nail in the coffin in the fourth inning when Convery blasted a three-run homer and Heather Holley (Owings, Md./Northern) crossed the plate on a Drew error to make it 9-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth.  The Cards allowed a single run in the Ranger at bat but with the deficit at eight the game still ended after five innings 9-1.

Holley and Convery both had two hits in the contest and Convery led the squad with four RBI.  CUA had 10 hits for the game while Drew managed just two.  In the circle, Clemente pitched all five innings and was awarded the win with three strikeouts.

After a huge win in the first game, CUA looked to be starting out the second game just as well scoring one run in the top of the first.  Holley managed to move around the bases and was brought home by Ager to make it 1-0.  That would be the end of CUA's good fortune, however, as the squad collapsed allowing ten unanswered Ranger runs in the first three innings.  Two errors and a double allowed four runs in the first and a tough five-run second made it 9-1.  In the third, the lead off batter was hit to get on, advanced on a wild pitch, moved to third on an out and scored after a Cardinal error making the final 10-1 and capping off the disastrous game for the Cards.

CUA had just one hit in the contest coming from Rachel Baker (Riverdale, Md./Saint Vincent Pallotti) and allowed five from Drew.  The Cardinal defense also committed four errors in the game.  Stacie Goddard (Nashua, N.H./Bishop Guertin) took the loss in the circle after pitching just an inning and a half.

The Cardinals will travel to Salisbury on Monday for a game against the Sea Gulls who defeated them in the conference tournament last season.