BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The No. 18 ranked Moravian College softball team split its 2016 Landmark Conference season opening doubleheader as the Greyhounds defeated The Catholic University of America, 8-3, in the opener before seeing a lead slip away in the second game, falling 9-4, at Blue and Grey Field Saturday afternoon.
"We're going to go as our pitching goes," commented Head Coach John Byrne. "It was disappointing ending. When you win the first game and you go out and take the lead in the second game. You're cruising along but don't keep adding on to the lead. I thought our bats went to sleep, and then you make an error and can't get anyone out, it isn't a good recipe. We had one loss in conference action last year and still came back and won everything."
The Blue & Grey, now 11-3 overall and 1-1 in conference action, pounded out 12 hits in the opener with sophomore catcher Janae Matos going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Senior outfielder Mary Schlosbon and freshman shortstop Madison Shaneberger were both 2-for-3 with Shaneberger driving in two run and connecting on a homer. Junior designated player Victoria Conner was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Sophomore Josie Novak improved to 6-1 in the circle this season with her 25th career win. She allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out eight batters.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning in the opener. Moravian would get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning when Shaneberger connected on her first collegiate home run to left field with one out.
Moravian scored six times in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-1 lead. Junior outfielder Julie Siragusa doubled with one out and scored on an RBI single by Shaneberger. Junior first baseman Abby Jeffries had an RBI on a ground ball before Matos drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Conner followed with an RBI single while sophomore third baseman Jessica D'Agostino and Schlosbon also had RBI doubles in the inning.
The Cardinals scored a run in the top of the sixth but Moravian would get the run back on an RBI single by Matos in the bottom of the sixth that plated freshman outfielder Kat Spilman, who had doubled.
In the second game, Moravian added another 12 hits with D'Agostino going 2-for-2. Jeffries was 2-for-3 in the game while Schlosbon had a 2-for-4 performance.
Sophomore Amanda Carisone took the loss in the circle for the Greyhounds after allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits over 4.2 innings with two strikeouts. Novak tossed the final 2.2 innings with three runs on two hits and a walk to go with two more strikeouts.
The Blue and Grey jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Jeffries doubled with one out and raced home on an RBI double from Matos. Conner hit a third straight double for the Hounds to score Matos, and Conner scored on an RBI single by freshman shortstop Kaela Kane.
Catholic plated a run in the top of the third to cut Moravian's lead to 3-1 but the Greyhounds got the run back in the bottom half of the third when Spilman led off with a solo home run to right center, her first career homer. After the Hounds left two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth, Catholic scored eight times in the top of the fifth including a pair of home runs.
Moravian will close out its six-game home stand on Thursday, March 24 when the squad hosts Ursinus College in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m. at Blue & Grey Field.
