Softball Drops Close Contest in Landmark Tourney
Cardinals will regroup against Drew on Saturday morning

5/2/2008 

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The third-seeded Catholic University softball squad (14-17) was two outs from taking their first game of the Landmark Conference Tournament from the second-seeded University of Scranton Royals (27-12) after a late seventh-inning rally to take the lead.  Instead a walk-off homer ended the game with the Cardinals on the losing end of a 12-11 decision.  CUA will now play to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament with a game against Drew tomorrow.

The Cards opened the game with two runs after a Heather Holley (Owings, Md./Northern) double and a homer by Lynn Brown (Laurel, Md./Saint Vincent Pallotti) who was selected first team all-conference as the designated player earlier in the week.  CUA added another pair in the second when left fielder Kara Walker (New Milford, N.J./Holy Angels) led off with a solo home run and Holley batted in a run on her second double of the afternoon.  Unfortunately, the Cards' lead was short-lived as Scranton tied it up in the bottom of the third as four solid hits generated as many runs.

For the next inning it was Scranton who rallied with to add two more before CUA could respond.  In the top of the fifth, Walked once again played the hero crushing the ball over the right field fence and bringing three runs across the plate before Kerry Convery (Carmel, N.Y./Mahopac) added a solo homer in the next at bat to make the score 8-6 and force a Royal pitching change.  It wasn't over yet, however, with the Scranton offense answering right back with two runs knotting it at eight. 

After a scoreless sixth inning for both squads, it came down the seventh for the win.  Stacie Goddard (Nashua, N.H./Bishop Guertin) started with a single as Walker and Convery followed suit.  Up came Rachel Baker who doubled to deep center to drive in three runs and give CUA a three-run lead.  The Cardinal defense was ready for the bottom of the seventh but an error put the lead off on base as the next two batters singled to load the bases.  With one out and Annie Zeleniak at the plate, the second baseman ripped a grand slam down the left field line scoring all of the runners for the crushing 12-11 win.

Walker led CUA at the plate going 3-4 with two runs scored, four RBI and two home runs.  Goddard and Brown were both 3-4 as the Cards put together a solid day at the plate with 18 hits to Scranton's 11, but also three errors.  Goddard took the loss in the circle with eight strikeouts and five walks in the game.

The Cardinals will play a must-win game on Saturday against Drew at 9 a.m., to stay in the double-elimination competition.