CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. - The Cabrini softball team notched a pair of wins over Baptist Bible College today, topping the Defenders 15-4 and 11-1 to improve to 24-8 and 19-3 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference.
With the victories, the Cavaliers clinched the number two seed in next week's CSAC postseason tournament. The Blue and White receive a bye into Friday's Championship Day One, where they will face the second lowest remaining seed after Wednesday's first round games. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. at Neumann University.
The Cavaliers tallied the game's first runs in the top of the first inning of game one, scoring three runs on four hits. Sophomore
Amber Dietrich reached on a single, stole second base and came home to score on senior
Steph Diegel's single to right center. Senior
Becca Miles followed with a double to left field, plating Diegel. Miles came home to score on an error by the third baseman a few batters later.
The Defenders tallied a run on two hits in the bottom half but the Blue and White offense kept its foot on the gas and broke the game open with a five run second inning.
Sophomore
Taylor Mack doubled down the left field line to open the top half. Freshman
Christine Ferraro followed with a bunt single, advancing Mack to third. Dietrich added a double the next at bat, scoring Mack and Ferraro. Dietrich came home to score after junior
Kaitlyn Cooper's double up the middle. Diegel closed the scoring with a two run shot to left field for her seventh home run on the year.
The Blue and White scored on an infield error in the third, before opening up for six runs in the fourth. A pair of RBI singles set the stage for freshman
Francesca Formisano, who hit a three run home run to give the Cavaliers a 15-1 lead.
The Defenders scored a pair of runs in the fourth and another in the fifth but the strong pitching from freshman
Jess Giordano was good enough to close out a win for the Blue and White.
Giordano went five innings in the circle, struck out seven Defenders and surrendered just three runs to help the Cavaliers capture the victory.
The Blue and White tallied 15 hits, as Dietrich, Cooper, Miles and Mack each added a double. Formisano notched her first round tripper in her collegiate career, while Mack finished 3-3 and picked up a pair of RBI.
In the nightcap, the Cavalier offense stayed hot. Cooper tallied a two run single in the first to put the Blue and White on top.
In the second, Cooper singled to left field, as Ferraro came around to score. A wild pitch scored Dietrich. Cooper then crossed home plate, following an infield error. Savar doubled to left center to score Diegel, before sophomore
Natalie Giannascoli added a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 7-0. Ferraro followed with a two run single to right field.
The Blue and White added a pair of runs on four hits in the fourth to bring the lead to 11-0.
Freshman
Kaitlyn Hohman held the Defenders to one run in the fifth to send the Blue and White to victory. The rookie improved to 9-1 in the circle after notching her seventh complete game this season. Hohman surrendered just one run on six hits and struck out four Defenders in the win.
Cooper led the way for the Cavaliers, notching four RBI after going 2-3 in the batter's box. Ferraro was a perfect 2-2 and tallied a pair of RBI, while four other Cavaliers earned a RBI in the win.
The Blue and White will travel to Chester, Pa. on Tuesday for a nonconference doubleheader against Widener University (22-6, 12-4 Commonwealth). Game time is set for 4:15 p.m.
