Clarks Summit, PA - The Cairn softball team traveled to Clarks Summit to take on the Defenders in a CSAC doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Defenders and Highlanders stood even at 4-4 heading to the bottom of the sixth in Game One. In the bottom of the sixth, the Defenders exploded for eight runs to defeat the Highlanders in a run-rule shortened game 12-4. The Defenders could not complete the sweep as the Highlanders took Game Two by a 13-12 final. Cairn scored in five of their seven trips to the plate in the victory.

Game One - Clarks Summit defeats Cairn 12-4
The Defenders used a huge, eight-run sixth inning to top the Highlanders in the first game of the doubleheader by a 12-4 final.
 
Cairn scored first with a single run in the top of the first off a Jessica Rolo RBI double. That 1-0 lead would hold firm until the bottom of the fourth when the Defenders scored three times to take their first lead of the day.
 
Cairn quickly responded with a two-run top of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3. It was the top of Cairn's order that did the damage with a two-out rally. With two away and no one on, Haley Tinney singled through the left side to get the rally started. Meagan Maratita then ripped a triple to left center to score Tinney. Rolo collected her second RBI of the game with a single up the middle to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Clarks Summit took the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth with a one-out RBI single, but the Highlanders responded with Angela Paskitti doubling to lead off the sixth. Paskitti moved to third on a wild pitch and came around to score on another wild pitch.
 
With the game tied once again, the Defenders put together a hit parade in the bottom of the inning. Clarks Summit registered eight runs on eight hits in the frame to end the game with the run rule. The game ended on a Justine Makinson double to left field with two outs in the inning.
 
In the circle, Meagan Maratita took the loss to fall to 6-3 on the season. Maratita went the distance for Cairn, allowing 12 runs (all earned) on 16 hits and three walks while striking out three.
 
Jessica Rolo went 3-3 in the game and drove home two runs to lead the Highlanders.

Game Two - Cairn defeats Clarks Summit 13-12
The Highlanders slugged 15 hits in the second game of the doubleheader and outlasted the Clarks Summit Defenders by a 13-12 final for their first CSAC victory of the season. Cairn scored in five of their seven trips to the plate and tallied multiple runs in four frames.
 
Cairn took advantage of three first-inning errors to score two runs and jump out to an early lead.
 
The Defenders scored three times in the bottom of the first before the Highlanders could record an out. Cairn's starter, Haley Tinney, settled down and got a line out, a ground out, and a strike out to end the frame with Clarks Summit leading 3-2 after one.
 
In the two of the second with two outs and two on, Jessica Rolo continued her hot play out of the three-hole with a three-run homer to left field. Rolo's first bomb of the season put Cairn up 5-3.
 
In the bottom of the third, the Defenders tied the game up a 5-5 with a two-out, two-run double.
 
Cairn swiftly responded with a four-run top of the fourth to take control of the game yet again. Meagan Maratita connected for an RBI double, Katelynn Reiss singled home two runs, and Charlotte Camp chased home a run on a ground out to second to account for the Highlander's scoring in the inning.
 
After a scoreless bottom half of the frame, the Cairn offense went right back to work with three runs in the top of the fifth. Keely Congleton and Jenna Alshay started off the inning with singles to set the table for the top of the order. The next three batters all brought home runs for the Highlanders and Cairn took a 12-5 lead into the bottom of the frame.
 
The Defenders battled back and pulled within one thanks to a six-run inning. Clarks Summit took advantage of an error and four walks in the inning to pull within one at 12-11. The two teams each scored one run in the sixth, before a scoreless seventh gave Cairn their first CSAC victory of the season at 13-12.
 
Haley Tinney earned the win for Cairn tossing 4.2 innings while allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on five hits and nine walks. Meagan Maratita threw the final 2.1 innings allowing three hits and one run (earned) while collecting four strikeouts.
 
At the plate, the top four batters in Cairn's line-up had multi-hit games with Tinney, Jessica Rolo, and Katelynn Reiss each collecting three hits in the game.
 
On the day, Jessica Rolo put together an impressive 6-7 effort with a double, home run, six RBI, and two runs scored.
 
The Highlanders move to 7-7 on the season and 1-7 in the CSAC. Cairn will next take the field tomorrow afternoon in a doubleheader at home when they host the Cabrini Cavaliers in a make-up of their rained out game from Friday afternoon. Game one is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.