Softball Opens Season Against Catonsville

ARNOLD, MD – The Anne Arundel Community College softball team picked up where it left off almost a year ago, facing CCBC Catonsville in a doubleheader. This time the teams faced off in Arnold, seeing the Cardinals take game one 12-8 in eight innings before building a 9-3 game in the nightcap which was halted due to darkness in the middle of the third inning.

Five Riverhawks made their collegiate debuts in the series: Courtney Croson, Jaclyn Nevins, Skylar Storm, Sierra Fowler, Courtney Maurer, and Kaleigh Hoffman. Back for sophomore seasons were Makayla Ruleman and Beca Compo, plus transfers Kelsey Smith and Rhiannon Claw.

AACC took advantage of a pair of errors and two bases-loaded walks to hold a 2-0 lead after the first inning. Back-to-back doubles by the Cardinals gave the visitors a 3-2 lead in the top of the third, but AACC answered back to tie it at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth with heads up base running and a clutch sacrifice bunt from Ruleman.

Catonsville retook the lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run, and sat down the Riverhawks in order in the bottom of the frame. The Cardinals used a two-out rally in the sixth to make it 7-2 before AACC plated four in the bottom of the inning on four hits and a pair of errors.

Both teams went down in order in the seventh, sending the game to extra innings. Catonsville cranked out five runs on five hits – including a grand slam – to hold a 12-7 lead headed into the bottom of the eighth.

With one out, Croson tripled, scoring Hoffman who started the inning on second. But Croson was caught off the bag for the second out of the inning. A strikeout ended the Riverhawks' comeback bid.

Croson drove in two runs on one hit. Nevins, who tossed her first collegiate complete game, went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Maurer also recorded two hits in three at bats with a run scored. Nevins allowed 12 runs (10 earned) on 16 hits while striking out seven.

In the nightcap, Catonsville scored two in the top of the first on an RBI triple and a wild pitch. AACC answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a Nevins RBI triple and a Storm sac fly to center. Catonsville put up four runs in the second on three hits for a 6-2 lead before AACC answered again in the bottom, scoring one on a Claw sacrifice bunt. The Cardinals used four hits to score three more in the top of the third, but stranded two on a laser line out to Nevins at shortstop.

Smith was on the mound for AACC in game two, striking out one and walking two while allowing nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits through three innings. Nevins pitched the final two innings of the resumed game on Thursday, April 22. Catonsville scored four runs in the top of the fifth to take a 13-3 lead. AACC got one in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Storm, but left the bases loaded in the loss.