LANGHORNE, Pa. – The Cairn University softball team split their Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) doubleheader at home against Keystone College on Thursday evening, dropping a 3-2 loss in game one, before claiming a 3-2 victory in walk-off fashion in game two.
In game one, Keystone (5-13, 4-4 CSAC) plated three runs in the first inning to take an early advantage. Cairn (8-12, 3-3 CSAC) got on the board in the bottom of the third after seniors
Theresa Beck (Lansdale, PA / Dock Mennonite Academy) and
Kacey Wees (Irwin, PA / Hempfield) each tallied RBI-singles. Unfortunately, the Keystone defense and pitching proved to be insurmountable, as the Giants did not allow a Cairn baserunner for the remainder of the contest.
Cairn was led offensively in game one by sophomore
Abbi Heacock (Media, PA / Delaware County Christian) with a pair of hits. Wees went the distance in the circle, tossing seven innings, giving up three runs and striking out a pair.
In game two, Cairn got on the board first when senior
Jenna Kenyon (Clarksville, MD / River Hill) delivered an RBI-single in the first inning. Keystone took its first lead of the bout after plating a run in both the third and fourth innings (2-1). Both teams hit an offensive stalemate from that point, and the Giants took their 2-1 lead into the bottom half of the last inning. Keystone then brought in their ace, game-one winning pitcher
Courtney Cienki, to try and close out the game in the circle. Cienki quickly retired the first two Cairn hitters, before Beck walked and Heacock singled to put runners at first and second. Kenyon then delivered with an RBI-single up the middle, scoring freshman pinch runner
Molly Williams (Hammonton, NJ / Pilgrim Academy) to tie the contest at two a-piece. Wees then stepped to the plate with the game-winning run on third, and single up the middle to drive in the game-winning run and walk off the Giants.
Wees and Kenyon each tallied two hits, while Kenyon drove in a team-high two runs. Wees earned her eighth victory of the season in the circle, going seven strong, scattering six hits, two runs and striking out three.
The Highlanders will be back on the field on Saturday, April 15 when they get back on the road for a conference doubleheader in Allentown against Cedar Crest College at 12 p.m.
