WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Wilkes softball team defeated Catholic University in extra innings to split their Landmark Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Wilkes were bested in the first game of the day 4-0 and won 2-0 in game two to pick up a massive road victory.

With the split, Wilkes moves to 12-10 overall with a 3-5 record in conference play.

The Colonels were blanked in the first game, with Catholic scoring once in the second inning with a single to center field, and twice in the fourth inning to take the 4-0 lead they would hold until the finish.
Evan Sherrick (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) was one of two Colonels with hits, picking up two while Mia Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) had one. Butka also pitched 2.0 innings of relief allowing four runs with no strikeouts. Sami Hendershott (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) (3-1) was given her first loss of the season allowing four earned runs on nine hits through four innings.

Sofia Fike led Catholic at the plate going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Aubryn Arcement (9-4) pitched a complete-game shutout allowing three hits with nine strikeouts.

Game two was a defensive duel, remaining scoreless through regulation and into extra innings thanks to superb pitching from Lauren DeMarco (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) and the Colonel defense behind her. Butka provided the breakthrough in the ninth inning with a double down the left field line that scored Hana Cross (South Brunswick, NJ/South Brunswick) to make it a 1-0 game. In the very next at-bat, Haylee Calaman (Elizabethtown, PA/Elizabethtown Area) brought Butka home on a single to right center, making it a 2-0 game.

 A fly out, a pop out, and a ground out from Catholic in the bottom half of the inning put the game away, sealing the doubleheader split for Wilkes.

DeMarco pitched all nine innings without allowing a single run on five hits with two strikeouts to improve her record to 7-3 on the year. Three Colonels had multi-hit games, but Butka's 2-for-5, one RBI performance led the team to victory.

Katie Scolese was the lone Cardinal with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 at the plate. Alex Pley was given the loss (7-3) pitching 2.2 innings giving up the two earned runs on five hits with one strikeout.

The Colonels return to the Ralston Athletic Complex on Monday, April 15 for their next contest, a battle with Misericordia University to kick off a three-series home stand. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.