WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 22, 2024) - The Susquehanna University softball team started Landmark Conference play on Friday afternoon with back-to-back 2-1 defeats to the Catholic University Cardinals, with the nightcap determined in nine innings. The night did, however, yield junior shortstop Lexi Palumbo her 100th career night, securing it in the second game with her second of three hits in a 3-for-4 outing. She hit the century mark in just 91 career games, starting all of them, and 286 at-bats.
Game One: Catholic 2, Susquehanna 1
Offense was hard to come by in both games due to the lights out pitching from both sides. On my mound for the first game was Hannah Foust for Susquehanna and Aubrynn Arcement for Catholic.
After two scoreless innings from both sides, it would be the River Hawks who got on the board first. Emily Deitch singled up the middle to start the top of the third and Nicole Wuertz reached base safely as well after a Catholic error. Hailey Kaba hit a single of her own to bring Deitch home and make it 1-0 Susquehanna.
However, the Cardinals wasted no time responding. A hit by pitch and Sophia Fike single put runners on first and second to start the bottom of the third, and an Amy Gastright single with two outs brought in both runners to give Catholic the lead 2-1.
Amanda Amerman replaced Foust on the mound in the next inning and pitched three shutout innings allowing just one hit, but the River Hawk offense couldn't get that elusive second run. Their best opportunity came in the seventh with back-to-back singles from Zoe Bork and Stevie Shaak to start, but Arcement managed three straight clutch outs to end any chance at a comeback and seal the win for Catholic.
Despite her strong outing, Foust took the loss with three innings pitched and two runs allowed off three hits. Arcement pitched a complete game for the Cardinals allowing just one run off six hits. On offense Shaak was the only River Hawk to reach base safely more than once all game going 2-3 with two singles.
Game Two: Catholic 2, Susquehanna 1
For game two Susquehanna went with Brianna Jones on the mound while Alex Pley took the mound for Catholic. The Cardinals scored right away in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Gastright to give Catholic a 1-0 lead.
From there Jones dominated on the mound, keeping Catholic's offense quiet with seven straight shutout innings, and allowing just one hit during that stretch. The River Hawks were held scoreless the first three innings but strung together three singles in the fourth from Kaylee Smallen, Katelyn Dugery, and Bork to tie the game.
After this both teams continued to be in a stalemate, which brought the contest to extra innings. Neither team scored in the eighth, and Susquehanna was kept quiet in the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth the Cardinals walked it off thanks to an RBI single by Alex Garza to sweep the doubleheader against Susquehanna.
Despite the loss, Jones pitched eight and a third innings for the allowing two runs off six hits, meanwhile Pley pitched a complete game allowing one run off nine hits. Although the River Hawks once again tallied more hits than Catholic, they left eight runners on base and failed to string together hits outside of the fourth inning. Once again only one River Hawk reached base safely more than once in the game, that being Lexi Palumbo who went 3-4 with two singles and a double.
The two losses drop Susquehanna to 5-9 on the season and 0-2 in Landmark play. The River Hawks will return to action on March 27 for their home opener doubleheader against Penn State Altoona. The first pitch is at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively.
