GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA – The Cairn Softball team began their 8-game road stretch on Wednesday, taking on the Gwynedd Mercy Griffins for a doubleheader. The Highlanders dropped both games, 3-2 & 7-2, on a windy and cold March afternoon.
 
GAME ONE
Cairn (1-10) took the lead in the first as sophomore catcher Myiah Petroro (Long Island, NY / Liberty University Online Academy) got aboard via a walk followed by classmate Sydney Wright (Souderton, PA / Souderton Area HS). The steal sign would be on, forcing the Griffins to throw the ball away, scoring Petroro. Junior third baseman Abbi Heacock (Media, PA / Delaware County Christian School) brought Wright in to score on a single to centerfield, the Highlanders up 2-0.
 
Gwynedd Mercy (5-7) answered with a run in the bottom half, scoring on a wild pitch. The Highlander defense would hold onto the lead until the bottom of the sixth where the Griffins rallied for a pair of runs to go ahead, 3-2, on an RBI triple. The tying run would be stranded at second as Gwynedd Mercy took game one, 3-2.
 
GAME TWO
The Highlanders were first to score again, putting up a pair in the second inning fueled by senior centerfielder Adriana Shannon's (Marlton, NJ / Cherokee) RBI double down the left field line, scoring senior outfielder Katie Fauske (Staten Island, NY / Port Richmond High School). Petroro singled to follow, scoring Shannon and putting Cairn up 2-0. Gwynedd Mercy took the lead back in the third, adding four runs on four hits and an error to go up 4-2. The Griffins kept building their lead with two more runs in the fourth and another for good measure in the sixth to pull away, 7-2, and take the game by the same score.
 
Wright got the start in game two, throwing a complete game and allowing only a single earned run.
 
Cairn will make the long road trip to Gallaudet on Friday to play a doubleheader with the Bison at 3 & 5 p.m.