Cardinals suffer pair of tough losses at Susquehanna

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Cardinals suffered their first conference losses of the season on Saturday, dropping a doubleheader at Susquehanna.  CUA fell 6-4 in game one and 3-0 in game two as the Crusaders run their winning streak to eight straight.  Taylor Stockinger, Tracey Scanlon and Mel Galella had two hits apiece for CUA.

In the day’s first game Susquehanna got out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the second inning.  The Crusaders scored their runs on a sac fly by Sarah Dowzicky and a Lisa Finizio RBI single.

CUA came back with a single run in the third to cut it to a 2-1 game.  Galella had gotten on with a triple and then came home on a Susquehanna error.

Three more Crusader runs in the bottom half of the inning made it a 5-1 game.  A pair of singles and another sacrifice fly accounted for Susquehanna’s scoring.

Shelly Landis drove home Susquehanna’s sixth run with a sac fly in the fourth to put the Crusaders in front 6-1.

CUA refused to go away quietly, scoring three runs in the top half of the seventh to make it 6-4.  Stockinger led off with a double and Galella followed with a single.  A walk to Megan Rizzi then loaded the bases.

Kristen Trancynger was next and she singled in Stockinger to make the score 6-2.  Erin McMakin then singled home Galella and CUA was within three.

Scanlon’s fielder's choice plated Rizzi to make it 6-4, but Nina Curto popped out and Jill Zic went down swinging to end the Cardinals rally.

Kerri Apicella took the game one loss for CUA after she went six innings, struck out five and allowed six runs on 12 hits.  Cara Swerdlow went all seven innings, struck out ten and allowed four runs on six hits to earn the win for Susquehanna.

CUA had trouble getting anything going on offense in the nightcap, as the Cardinals were only able to muster three hits, one of which was a Rizzi triple in the top of the first.  Trancynger was next, but she grounded out, keeping the Cardinals off the board.

Stockinger had a two-out single in the third, but was stranded there, while Scanlon led the seventh off with a single, but never went any further.

Susquehanna scored its runs with one in the first and two more in the fifth to earn the win.

Sarah Hoffman was the winning hurler after she went seven innings, struck out six and surrendered just the three hits.  McMakin went six innings for CUA in the circle, striking out seven during that time.

On Sunday CUA will open its 2011 home schedule when the Cardinals welcome Mary Baldwin to town.  First pitch of game one is slated for 1 p.m.