HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Catholic University belted four home runs over both ends of a doubleheader, sweeping Juniata College softball in a Landmark Conference doubleheader, 10-0 and 4-1, Saturday afternoon at Weaver Park Field. 

Juniata (2-14, 0-2 Landmark) posted a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning of game two, when Erin Francis (Parkton, Md./Hereford) reached on a leadoff single, went to second on a wild pitch, was sacrificed to third by Caley McCool (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley), and crossed on a base hit by Amanda Gerlach (Mesa, Ariz./Marcos de Niza). 

Catholic (9-7, 2-0 Landmark) responded in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run by pitcher Erin McMakin – a line-drive belt that barely cleared the fence after getting no more than 25 feet in the air. 

The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh on a two-run blast by Taylor Stockinger.

Juniata starter Mason Kersey (Charles Town, W.Va./St. John's Catholic) scattered six hits over seven innings of work, with one strikeout and no walks, and was charged with the loss.  McMakin yielded just two hits in the win, fanning four Eagles and walking two.

In game one, Catholic pounded out 10 runs on eight hits in a five-inning win. Cardinal starter Kerri Apicella tossed a two-hitter in the complete game win, striking out three Juniata batters. 

Rachel Smith (Martinsburg, Pa.) and Steph Frith (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) had the lone hits for Juniata. The Eagles advanced a runner as far as second base just once in the contest; Smith got aboard on a one-out single in the second, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kelsea Decker (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro Area) drew a walk to put runners on first and second, but a strikeout and pop-up ended the inning with Juniata's only two runners left on base.

Decker allowed nine earned runs on eight hits and six walks with two strikeouts in the loss.

Juniata returns to action on Wednesday, March 30, when the Eagles host Saint Vincent College at 3:00 p.m. on Weaver Park Field.

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