DUNDALK, MD- The Highlanders opened up CSAC play Saturday afternoon against the Notre Dame (MD) University Gators. After two hard fought contests, Cairn split the doubleheader with a 6-7 loss in the first game and 7-2 win in the second.
 
The Highlanders started off slowly, as the Gators plated 3 runs to in the first. However, Cairn exploited two errors in the second to start their own rally. Reaven East singled to load the bases, and Meagan Maratita knocked a single up the middle, and Angela Paskitti notched an RBI as well to tie the game 3-3. East manufactured another run of her own in the fourth, forcing the Gators into multiple throwing errors with her incredible speed. East took advantage of a wild pitch, sliding home and scoring the Highlanders 4^th run of the afternoon. The next couple innings passed without much drama, until the top of the 7^th when Paskitti and Olivia Nieto smashed back-to-back doubles to take a 6-4 lead. Unfortunately, the Gators mounted a 2 out rally of their own in the bottom of the 7^th to tie the contest and force the game into extra innings. The first two extra innings passed quickly, with the Highlanders notching one baserunner in each but no runs. Once again with two outs, the Gators tallied two singles, plating the decisive run and giving Notre Dame (MD) a 7-6 win.
 
Fortunately, the Highlanders bounced back in excellent fashion. Meagan Maratita smashed her first homerun of the season and Olivia Nieto hustled home on a wild pitch, giving Cairn a 2-0 lead. The Gators tied it up in the bottom half, but it was all Highlanders from that point forward. More top-notch base running, combined with knocks from Maratita, Tori Knox, and Hailey Wruck gave the Highlanders a 7-2 lead and their first CSAC win of the season.
 
The Highlanders hit the road next week as well, traveling to take on Lancaster Bible College Wednesday afternoon and Keystone College on Saturday.