WASHINGTON, D.C. - After falling to earn a run in game one of a non-conference doubleheader, the Stevenson softball team picked up a 6-5 victory in game two as the Mustangs earned a split with Catholic Wednesday afternoon at CUA Softball Field.
The Mustangs (11-8) avoided their first three-game losing streak and posted their fifth win in the last seven games.
In game one, the Cardinals (11-8) scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the first inning as Rose Shaver hit a sacrifice to score the runner from third.
In the top of the first, sophomore Kristen Mueller hit a leadoff double before advancing to third with two outs, but Stevenson was unable to advance her home. The team had another opportunity in the second inning after sophomore Molly Hoyt hit another leadoff double.
The Mustangs finished 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position while totaling just five hits. It is the sixth time this season that the team totaled five hits or fewer. Stevenson is just 1-5 in those games.
Junior Briana Pichalski did her best in her third complete game, allowing just one earned run on eights hits. Victoria Capozucca allowed no earned runs and struck out four for Catholic.
After a slow start in game two, the Mustangs bats came alive in the fourth inning totaling five hits iafter trailing 4-0 early. With runners of second and third, freshman Naomi Fields hit a bases clearing double to get Stevenson on the board for the first time.
A groundout by sophomore Kaitlyn Seger advanced Fields to third before scoring on a passed ball to cut the deficit to just one. Mueller had the game-tying RBI single to score junior Courtney Cook from third. The Mustangs had three steals in that inning and five for the game. Sophomore Tiffany Kahl finished with three.
Catholic retook the lead in the bottom of the inning to lead 5-4 on a sacrifice fly by Morgan Gieser.
However, with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the fifth, Fields hit an RBI single to center field before Seger added a the game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly to give the Mustangs a 6-5 lead.
After the Cardinals loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, Mueller came up with a big defensive stop, turning a double play by tagging the runner out at third before throwing out the runner at home.
Fields finished the game 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and one run.
Sophomore Laura Welch earned her first win of the year while Pichalski earned her first save.
Stevenson returns to action on Saturday, April 5 when it travels to take on Lebanon Valley, the defending Commonwealth Conference Champions. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
