MIAMI, Fla. – The Holy Cross softball program continued their spring break trip in Miami taking on Florida International at Felsberg Field Tuesday and split a pair of games falling to the host Panthers 6-2 in game one before winning a pitcher's duel 1-0 in game two.

The game two victory was the 300th in the career for Crusader (4-9) head coach Kimberly Stiles.

Junior hurler Megan Yurchick was untouchable in game two tossing the 13th complete game of her career while earning a shutout holding the Panthers (13-11) to only three hits across seven frames only needing 79 pitches in the effort.

In the game one setback, freshman Ali Sniegocki smacked her first career home run.
 
GAME ONE: PANTHERS 6, CRUSADERS 2 (FINAL):
 
STARTING IN THE CIRCLE:

• Sydney Birling: W, (2-4), 5.0 innings, two earned runs, four hits allowed, two strikeouts.
• Freshman Sophia Roncone: L, (1-4), 3.2 innings, five earned runs, six hits allowed, five strikeouts, four walks

IN RELIEF:

• Brooke McNichols: 2.0 innings, three walks, two strikeouts.
• Senior Audrey Gusel: 2.1 innings, one earned run, one hit allowed, one strikeout.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Isabella Perez: 1-for-2, two RBI, walk, run scored, double, stolen base.
• Carmen Perez: 2-for-3, RBI, double.
• Freshman Ali Sniegocki: 1-for-2, home run, RBI, run scored, walk.
• Senior Bailey Bates: 1-for-2, double, walk, run scored.
• Junior Claire McCann: 1-for-3, RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A Carmen Perez two out double in the bottom of the first put the hosts ahead 1-0.
• Leading off the top of the second, Sniegocki took the second pitch she saw to center for her first career homer to level the score 1-1. Bates responded with a double to right and the next batter, McCann singled up the middle to move the Crusaders ahead 1-0.
• During the third, the Panthers regained the lead due to their base running as a pair of wild pitches put them back in front 3-2.
• In the fourth, the hosts tacked on two insurance runs when Isabella Perez cleared the bases with a two RBI double.
• A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth resulted in the sixth run of the game for the hosts.

 
GAME TWO: CRUSADERS 1, PANTHERS 0 (FINAL):
 
STARTING IN THE CIRCLE:

• Junior Megan Yurchick: W, (3-5), complete game, shutout, three hits allowed, two strikeouts.
• Ella Whitney: L, (3-5), complete game, earned run, two hits allowed, two walks, three strikeouts.  

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Junior Jessica Mott: 1-for-3, RBI.
• Senior Kari Jacobson: 1-for-2, run scored.
• Ashton Lansdell: 1-for-3, double, stolen base.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A lead off single in the bottom of the second was the first hit of the ball game for either squad.
• From the second inning until the top of the sixth, both squads were hitless until Jacobson legged out an infield single to lead off the top of the sixth. Bailey Bates sacrificed Jacobson to second and Mott delivered an RBI single for the first run of the contest and more importantly gave the Crusaders the 1-0 lead.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Logan Turner singled to begin the frame, Makayla Navarro pinch ran and stole second. With a runner in scoring position, Yurchick struck out Carmen Perez for the first out. A groundout advanced Navarro to third then Abigail Brown grounded out to short to end the contest.

DUE UP:

• Holy Cross continues their spring break trip on Wednesday, March 8 at Stetson for a single game.
• First pitch is slated for noon.

 
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