LANGHORNE, Pa. – The Cairn University softball team won both games of their Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) doubleheader at home against the University of Valley Forge on Friday evening, posting a 3-2 victory in game one before claiming a 5-4 extra-inning win in walk-off fashion in the nightcap.
In game one, Valley Forge (7-17, 0-10 CSAC) jumped ahead with two runs in the top of the first inning, and held that lead until the fourth frame. In that inning, Cairn (11-15, 6-6 CSAC) cut the deficit to one (2-1) off an RBI-single by freshman
Myiah Petroro (Long Island, NY / Liberty Online). The Highlanders tied the game just one inning later, when freshman
Sydney Wright (Souderton, PA / Souderton) doubled down the line to score junior
Adriana Shannon (Marlton, NJ / Cherokee). Wright delivered again in the bottom of the sixth, this time via a sacrifice fly, while plated what would be the game-winning run.
Cairn was led offensively in game one by Shannon who went three-for-three at the plate and scored a run. Petroro added a pair of hits, while Wright posted a game-high two RBIs. Senior
Kacey Wees (Irwin, PA / Hempfield) got the win in the circle, going the distance and scattering three hits, two runs and striking out four.
In game two, UVF once again garnered the early advantage, this time crossing three runners though the top of the third inning, before Cairn got on the scoreboard via a two-RBI single by senior
Theresa Beck (Lansdale, PA / Dock Mennonite Academy) in the bottom half of the third. The Patriots increased the advantage to 4-2 after plating another run in top of the fourth, before Cairn responded with a two-RBI double off the bat of Shannon in the bottom half to tie the contest (4-4).
Neither team broke through over the next three frames, sending the game to extra innings. Cairn quickly snuffed out a sacrifice bunt attempt to start the top half, as Wees gunned down the runner at third for the first out (per international tiebreaker rules instituted by the NCAA, both teams start extra innings with a runners automatically placed at second base). Wright then made a lunging play for the second out in four territory, and Wees struck out the third hitter to end the half inning. In Cairn's half of the eighth, Kenyon lined out before Wees delivered a base hit through the right-side, sending Wright to third base. Wright made a hard turn between third and home, and UVF attempted to throw her out returning to third base. However, the Patriot throw got past the third baseman, allowing Wright to scamper home for the winning run.
Wees paced the offense in game two with three hits and two runs, followed by sophomore
Abbi Heacock (Media, PA / Delco Christian) with a pair of hits. Freshman
Jolene Zefferi (Bristol, PA / Bristol) tallied a double and reached base in all three plate appearances. Wees got the win in relief, tossing four innings of scoreless ball in the circle, while Beck got the start, posting four innings and scattering seven hits, four runs (two earned) and striking out three.
The Highlanders will be back on the field on Tuesday, April 25 when they take on Lancaster Bible College in a non-conference doubleheader inside the Stillman Complex at 3 p.m.
