WASHINGTON, DC - Susquehanna softball began their landmark conference play in their 2026 schedule with a double header against Catholic University. The River Hawks fell in both games, losing game one 9-1 and game two.
Game One: Catholic 9, Susquehanna 1
- Both teams played shutdown defense to open the game, resulting in no runs scored through the first four innings. That all changed in the bottom of the fifth, when Stevie Shaak hit a double to center field to score the first run for the River Hawks.
- From there, Catholic would score nine unanswered runs in the next two innings. Starting in the bottom of the fifth, where the Cardinals scored six runs off five hits capped off by a two-run homerun by Katie Scolese.
- With Catholic now up 6-1, the Cardinals earned more runs in the bottom of the sixth. After two hits brought two runners on base, a single from Catholic would score a run, followed by sac-fly out to right center field. Scolese, who hit the homerun in the last inning, ended the game with a RBI single to trigger the eight-run mercy rule.
- The River Hawks recorded five hits in game one, with Maddy Devine leading the team as the only River Hawk with multiple hits. Savannah Patrone, Sydney Perez, and Stevie Shaak all recorded a hit each for Susquehanna.
Game Two: Catholic 6 - Susquehanna 2
- In game two, Catholic got back to work in no time, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. The Cardinals started with a leadoff double, and later scored on a sac-fly to center field. Scolese banged in another RBI double, scoring the second run of the inning for Catholic.
- The River Hawks immediately answered, as in the very next inning, Amanda Ammerman hit a single to center field to score a run for Susquehanna, cutting into the Catholic lead 2-1. - Catholic got their lead back up to two runs in the bottom half of the inning, scoring off an RBI single to stretch their lead to 3-1. The Cardinals didn't stop there, as in the bottom of the third, Scolese hit another homerun, this time to two-run shot to left field to give Catholic a 5-1 lead over Susquehanna.
- Both teams would endure a defensive battle over the next two innings, with Susquehanna applying pressure on the mound. In the bottom of the fourth, Brianna Jones struck out all three batters in the inning, and led the River Hawks to a double play in the fifth that helped put the inning away.
- In the bottom of the sixth, Catholic would gain another run after Olivia Stinchcomb hit an RBI single to give the Cardinals a 6-1 lead heading into the final frame. In that seventh inning, Alyssa Mayorca scored off a throwing error by the catcher, but the lone run wasn't enough to change the result.
- Mayorca and Perez picked up two hits each for the River hawks, while Devine and Amerman both recorded a hit each.
- The Cardinals recorded 10 total hits to Susquehanna's six with Catholic picking up the only error in the contest.
Up Next For The River Hawks
- The River Hawks will host Messiah University for a non-conference doubleheader on Monday, March 30 with game one starting at 3 p.m.
