MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – The Holy Cross softball team picked up their first win of the season, a 4-0 shutout of host College of Charleston Saturday afternoon before falling by a 10-4 score to Valparaiso in the night cap.

The split sends the Crusaders to 1-3 in the early going while the Cougars, who have been shut out in three of their last four games fall to 2-7 while the Beacons, winners of five straight improve to 5-3. The victory was the first in the Holy Cross career of head coach Kimberly Stiles and it was also her first leading an NCAA Division I program.

Over the two games, senior backstop Erin Bengston went a combined 3-for-6 (.500) with three RBI and a walk.
 
GAME ONE: CRUSADERS 4, COUGARS 0 (FINAL):

IN THE CIRCLE:

• Sophomore Megan Yurchick: W (1-0), 7.0 innings, complete game, shutout, six strikeouts, three hits, two walks.
• Lemire: L (0-2), 7.0 innings, eight hits, four walks, four strikeouts, four runs – one earned.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Bengston: 1-for-3, three RBI, walk.
• Senior Bailey Chavez: 1-for-2, run scored, stolen base.
• Junior Bailey Bates: 1-for-4, run scored, stolen base.
• Junior Kari Jacobson: 1-for-2, run scored, stolen base.
• Junior Mel Leach: 2-for-4.
• Yurchick: 2-for-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Crusaders took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Jacobson legged out an infield hit and immediately stole second base, Chavez walked and Bates reached on a fielding error to load the bases for Bengston. Bengston grounded out and was awarded an RBI for her team.
• Charleston almost evened the margin in the bottom of the sixth as Camden Carter doubled to left center and advanced to third a batter later. Aniz Roman reached via a fielder's choice as Yurchick needed to tightrope out of danger with second and third and one away. She immediately induced a groundout and a strikeout swinging keeping the Crusaders ahead 1-0.
• The guests added insurance in the seventh. Chavez moved to second on a throwing error then Bates singled and swiped second. Bengston pulled a single down the left-field line to clear the bases making it a 3-0 score. Senior Jessie Nagel grounded out plating a runner for the 4-0 advantage.

 
GAME TWO: BEACONS 10, CRUSADERS 4 (FINAL):

IN THE CIRCLE:

• Easton Seib: W (3-1), 5.2 innings, three strikeouts, one earned run, nine hits, one walk.
• Yurchick: L (1-1), 1.1 innings, one strikeout, seven hits, four earned runs.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Ryan Milkowski: 4-for-4, three RBI, two doubles, stolen base, walk.
• Regi Hecker: 3-for-5, two doubles, RBI, run scored.
• Jessica Mott: 2-for-4, home run, two RBI, run scored, walk.
• Kari Jacobson: 2-for-3, RBI, walk.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Leading off in the bottom of the first Mott bashed a payoff pitch over the left field fence for the 1-0 Crusader lead.
• Mott struck again in the bottom of the second singling up the middle for an RBI expanding the Crusader lead to 2-0.
• Starting pitcher Kelly Nelson was relived after two innings and throwing only 39 pitches. Junior Audrey Gusel relived Nelson and allowed the first two runners to reach base then registered three straight outs to keep Holy Cross in the lead 2-0
• Valpo hung a six-spot in the top of the fourth as they batted around the lineup. Three of the runs scored were on RBI singles and the sixth run was off a double down the line.
• Milkowski doubled in the next half-inning for the Beacons to increase the score to 8-2.
• Jacobson singled up the middle in the bottom of the fifth to pull her team within five at 8-3.
• Valpo one through three hitters went a combined 8-for-14 (.571) with five RBI, two doubled, two stolen bases and six runs scored.

 
DUE UP:

• Holy Cross ends their trip to The Palmetto State tomorrow when they take on host College of Charleston at 12:30.