Bethel, PA - The Cairn softball team continued their hot start with a doubleheader sweep over the Valley Forge Patriots on Friday afternoon. Cairn picked up victories of 16-6 and 15-11 to improve their season record to 4-0 on the year. Meagan Maratita picked up two wins in the circle for the Highlanders to improve her record to 4-0 in her career.
 
Offensively, Maratita and Haley Tinney each hammered grand slams on the afternoon with Maratita going deep in Game One and Tinney rounding the sacks in Game Two.
 
Game One – Cairn defeats Valley Forge 16-6
In Game One the Highlanders put up 16 runs and got started early. Angela Paskitti knocked a two out, two RBI triple in the top of the first to get the party started. After the early strike from Paskitti, Cairn and Valley Forge battled back and forth. The Patriots responded with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game at 2-2.
 
After a scoreless second for both teams, Cairn went back to work with two runs in the third. The Highlanders scored runs in the frame off a Jessica Rolo RBI single with no outs and a Charlotte Camp RBI groundout to second.
 
Like the first inning, the Patriots responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 4-4. Both of these runs were unearned, as the Highlanders made two in the frame.
 
Cairn quickly countered with two runs in the top of the fourth thanks to a two-run home run by Meagan Maratita. After a scoreless bottom of the fourth, the Highlanders put six more runs on the board highlighted by a grand slam by Maratita.
 
Valley Forge scored two in the bottom of the fifth, before the Highlanders tacked on four insurance runs across the sixth and seventh to come away with the 16-6 victory.
 
Maratita Meagan led the Highlanders in the circle and at the dish. The freshman went 4-5 at the play with two home runs, a double, and six RBI. In the circle she went four innings allowing four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out six. She earned her third win to improve to 3-0 on the season.
 
Angela Paskitti also had a day at the plate. The short stop went 3-5 with two triples, a double, two runs scored, and three RBI in the first game.
 
Game Two – Cairn defeats Valley Forge 15-11
Game Two of Friday's double-dip was a slugfest, with the Highlanders and Patriots combining for 26 runs in five innings of play. Valley Forge sent across four runs in the top of the first before the Highlanders countered with eight runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to take an 8-4 lead. Haley Tinney hammered a grand slam to break a 4-4 tie, scoring Vanessa Munoz, Keely Congleton, and Jenna Alshay.
 
The Patriots closed the gap to one at 8-7 after a three-run top of the second, but Cairn's starter, Meagan Maratita, got out of the jam with a strikeout looking to leave two in scoring position. Jenna Alshay brought home two in the bottom of the second to make it a 10-7 game.
 
After three runs in the bottom of the third, Cairn led 13-7. The Highlanders scored thanks to an RBI double from Tinney, an RBI single from Jessica Rolo, and an RBI double from Katelynn Reiss.
 
In the top of the fourth an RBI triple with two outs in the fourth brought in a run for Valley Forge, but Cairn responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 15-8 lead.
 
With the field rental time coming to a close, the fifth inning was established as the final frame of the day. While the Patriots scored three times in the top of the fifth,  it wasn't enough as Cairn held on for the 15-11 victory.
 
Once again Maratita earned the victory with a three inning start in the game. She allowed seven runs on six hits. Tinney pitched two innings of relief allowing four runs on two hits.
 
On the afternoon, the Highlanders notched 25 hits and scored 31 runs.
 
Cairn will take the field tomorrow afternoon when they host Immaculata for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m. for their first conference games of the season.