Heather Alich	Jennifer Sweeney

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After winning game one (7-0), junior Heather Alich (Bath, Pa./Northampton Area) smacked a three-run home run in the sixth inning of game two to catapult The University of Scranton softball team to a 3-2 win at Catholic on Sunday, as the Royals completed a Landmark Conference four-game series sweep with the vitory.

With the DH sweep, Scranton moved to 16-4 overall and in the Landmark and now have a firm grip on second place in the conference standings entering the final week of the regular season. Catholic dropped to 11-7 overall and in the Landmark with the loss.

Game One | Box Score

In the first game, Scranton jumped on Catholic right from the start then coasted the rest of the way, as the Cardinals were unable to hit much of anything against senior pitcher Jennifer Sweeney (Wind Gap, Pa./Dumont) in a victory that clinched the weekend series for the Royals.

To kick off the game, freshman Sarah Stepnowski (Monroe Twp., N.J./Monroe) had an RBI infield single that scored sophomore Lauren Cawley (Duryea, Pa./Scranton Prep) to give the Royals a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Later in the frame and with the bases loaded, sophomore Isabella Gorzkowski (Pittston, Pa./Scranton Prep) was at the dish, and Scranton's designated player came through huge, clearing the bases with a three-RBI double to give the Royals a 4-0 lead after a half-inning.

Scranton then plated single runs in the third, when Sweeney scored on a wild pitch and the fourth when graduate student Casey DeSarno (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) and Cawley scored on a Catholic error to make it a 7-0 game. This was more than enough run support for Sweeney to work with the rest of the way.

After tossing a two-hit shutout in a start on Saturday, Sweeney was just as dominant in her start on Sunday, allowing three hits, while striking out four to move to 10-2 overall for the year. Sweeney, who did not walk any batters, did now allow a Catholic baserunner to reach second base in the victory, as well.

Overall in game one, Gorzkowski was 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI's, while Stepnowski was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Cawley was 2-for-5 with two runs scored to round out the top performers in the win for Scranton.

Game Two | Box Score

In game two, the Royals had a hard time getting much of anything going against starter Justina Benvenuto for much of the game.

The third saw Catholic score a pair of runs off of Scranton senior starter Meaghan Dowdell (Parlin, N.J./Old Bridge) to take a 2-0 lead that held for the Cardinals into the sixth inning, where the Royals struck.

First, DeSarno singled with one out, then after a Royals out, Sweeney singled, advancing DeSarno to third. With Alich at the plate and with a chance to put Scranton ahead, she cashed in on her opportunity in a big, big way, lifting a pitch over the left center field fence to put the Royals up, 3-2.

The home run for Alich was her third of the year and each one put Scranton ahead late in games, as she did it twice last week vs. Susquehanna. It was also her seventh career home run, as well.

With the lead, the Royals turned to Sweeney to finish off the game in relief and she did just that. Catholic was able to hit singles in both the sixth and seventh innings, but could not advance a runner to second base on Sweeney, as the senior earned her first save of the year to complete the weekend sweep for Scranton.

Overall, DeSarno finished game two going 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Dowdell collected the win to move to 6-2 overall in the circle for the year. She tossed five innings, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out four.

The University of Scranton softball team returns to action on Saturday, taking on Juniata to open their final Landmark Conference regular season series of the year. The doubleheader in Huntingdon begins at 1 p.m.

--ROYALS--