OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Cedar Crest College softball team held off Notre Dame of Maryland University in game two, 5-4, to secure a split with the Gators in a United East Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

Game One – Notre Dame of Maryland 8, Cedar Crest 0 (Five Innings)

The Gators plated a pair of runs in the home half of the first on an infield single by senior Bethani Newbold (Anniston, Ala.). On the same play, senior Charlene Torres (West Covina, Calif.) scored on an error at first base and sophomore Julianna Leatherwood (Towson, Md.) also crossed home on the play to put Notre Dame of Maryland up 2-0.

Following three scoreless innings, the Gators then pushed six runs across in the fifth to end the game in five frames, 8-0.

Senior Ciarra Bockstie (Nottingham, Md.) picked up the win in the circle for NDMU, only allowing four hits over five innings of work. First-year Erin Gray (Pennsburg, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) took the loss, giving up seven runs (five earned) on 12 hits while walking one.

First-year Kylie Mastillo (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono) led the Falcons at the plate, going 2-for-2. Junior Natalie Hasert (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township) and senior Alex Mullen (Prospect Park, Pa./Interboro) closed out the hit column with one each.

Torres guided the Gators offensively, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored.

Game Two – Cedar Crest 5, Notre Dame of Maryland 4

NDMU got on the board first in game two with a single run in the bottom of the second. First-year Claire Smith connected on a base hit to right field, bringing around Newbold for the 1-0 lead.

Cedar Crest recorded four runs in the third inning. Senior Alexis Kline (Allentown, Pa./Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter) got the scoring started with a solo home run to left center field. Mastillo then came home on an error. First-year Abby Adams (Suffolk, Va./Lakeland) followed with a base hit to right field, plating first-year Madison Nadasi (Bushkill, Pa./East Stroudsburg North). Sophomore Brooke Trentler (Whiteford, Md./North Harford) delivered the final tally of the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, which was deep enough to bring home Mullen to make the score 4-1.

The Gators cut the Falcons' margin to two, scoring a pair in the fifth. Senior Candace Forgach-Aguilar (Morenci, Ariz.) touched home a sacrifice groundout by Leatherwood and then sophomore Anabelle Hafner (Dundalk, Md.) came home on a sacrifice fly from Torres to trim the score to 5-3.

NDMU was able to get one more run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to center field by Smith, plating Leatherwood to make the score 5-4, the eventual final.

First-year Alexis Acevedo (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) collected the win in the circle for Cedar Crest, allowing four runs on eight hits while walking one and walking two.

Sophomore Malorie Gogel (Baltimore, Md.) was given the loss, surrendering five runs on six hits while walking one and striking out one.

Hasert led the way for the Falcons, going 3-for-4 at the dish. Mastillo went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Adams chipped in two hits and an RBI. Junior Laney Ferraro (Philadelphia, Pa./New Foundations Charter), Kline, and Trentler closed out the hit column with one apiece.

Cedar Crest (17-18 overall, 9-4 United East) returns home to host Cairn University for a single game on Thursday, April 24 at 4:00 p.m. Notre Dame of Maryland University (8-14 overall, 8-5 United East) will stay home for a twinbill against Rosemont College on Tuesday, April 22 at 3:00 p.m.