SCRANTON - Freshman Jessica Stadler (Monmouth Junction, N.J./South Brunswick) hit an eventual game-winning home run, as senior Meaghan Dowdell (Parlin, N.J./Old Bridge) tossed a complete game to lift The University of Scranton softball team to a 2-1 win over Drew in an elimination game at the 2021 Landmark Conference playoffs Saturday at Magis Field.

In the Royals' first game of the tournament, Scranton fell in an extra-inning heartbreaker to Catholic, 4-1, in eight innings. With the split, Scranton is now 21-5 overall on the year.

Scranton 2, Drew 1 | Box Score

After falling in extras to Catholic, the Royals did just enough offensively to move onto Sunday's final round.

To kick it off, Drew was first to score, as an RBI double by the Rangers gave them a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. But, that lead did not last for long, as freshman Lauren Cawley (Duryea, Pa./Scranton Prep) knocked home sophomore Heather Alich (Bath, Pa./Northamption Area) on an RBI single in the bottom of the frame to tie the game up at 1-1 after two.

In the third, Stadler led off the inning and lifted a solo home run over the left field fence, giving the Royals a 2-1 lead after three. The round-tripper was the first of Stadler's career.

Ironically, this was the last scoring play of the entire game, as Dowdell pitched a gem. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, Drew was able to get lead-off hits on Dowdell, but the senior was able to keep the Rangers' offense at bay each time, preserving the lead for the Royals.

In the seventh, Dowdell finished off the game with a three up, three down inning to clinch the one-run win for Scranton and eliminate Drew from the playoff field in the process.

Overall, Stadler went 2-for-3 in the win with her lone RBI coming on the home run. Dowdell, meanwhile, moved to 9-2, allowing just one run on five hits, while striking out two in the complete game win.

Catholic 4, Scranton 1 (8) | Box Score

The first game of the day was a frustrating one for the Royals at the plate, as Scranton stranded nine runners on base throughout the course of the game, which Catholic took advantage of in extras.

The Cardinals opened the scoring with a run in the top of the third, as a 1-0 lead for the Cardinals held until the bottom of the sixth. There, senior Maggie Donnelly (New Hyde Park, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy Academy) came up big with two outs, knocking home sophomore Isabella Gorzkowski (Pittston, Pa./Scranton Prep) on an RBI single to tie the game up at 1-1.

In the seventh, Scranton looked to end the game, loading the bases with two outs, But, Catholic's Katie Hurd was able to force Alich to ground out to third base to send the game to extras.

There, Catholic struck in the top of the eighth, scoring three times to take a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the frame, the Royals went down quietly, as the Cardinals moved onto tomorrow's final round.

Overall, Stadler was 2-for-4, while Cawley was 2-for-3. In the circle, senior Jennifer Sweeney (Wind Gap, Pa./Dumont) took the loss, allowing four runs on nine hits in seven-plus innings of work to fall to 12-3 overall for the year.

The University of Scranton softball team will return to action on Sunday, as the Royals and Catholic will face off in the fourth game of the Landmark playoffs beginning at 10 a.m. at Magis Field. Should the Royals win, they will force a winner-take-all game with the Cardinals beginning at 12 p.m.

--ROYALS--