The University of Mary Washington softball team split a pair of games in the opening day of the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament, topping Southern Virginia University, 8-4, before falling to York College, 7-3. The pod will conclude on Monday, as SVU will face York at 2 pm, with UMW playing the winner at 4 pm.
In the opener, the Eagles jumped ahead with a run in the first, as Hannah Bruns led off with a single, stole second, and moved to third on a groundout before scoring on a single from Rachel Porchie. SVU answered with a three run home run in the second to take a 3-1 lead, but the Eagles plated four in the third to go ahead for good.
With two outs, Porchie and Dayla Sawyer connected for back to back doubles, scoring Porchie, and after a walk to Danielle Newman, Juliet Truslow helped her own cause with a three-run homer. The Eagles scored three in the fourth, as Caroline Bird doubled and scored on a groundout from Bruns. Porchie followed with a two-run homer. The Knights scored one in the sixth for the final tally.
Porchie singled twice, doubled, and homered for UMW, with three RBI. Truslow added a single to her home run, and Sawyer singled and doubled. Truslow gained the win in the circle, allowing one earned run on six hits in seven innings, with one walk and nine strikeouts.
In game two, York jumped ahead with three runs in the first. UMW got one back in the second, as Megan Hibbs walked with the bases loaded, but York added a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, and scored another in the third.
The Eagles scored once in the fourth, as Bird doubled and scored on a single from Bruns. York scored in the fourth, and UMW was able to add one in the seventh as Porchie doubled and scored on a single from Danielle Newman.
Newman had two hits and Porchie and Bird doubled to fuel the Eagle offense. Jamie Purtell took the loss, allowing two earned runs in 2/3 of an inning, on on five hits and a walk.
UMW will face the winner of Monday's 2 pm game between Southern Virginia and York at 4 p.m. at the Battleground.