Cardinals drop home opener to Lazers

In their first home game of the season, the CCBC Catonsville Cardinals softball team fell to the Onondaga Community College Lazers, 18-8.

After three wild innings to begin the game, the Cardinals fell victim to a shut-down pitching effort from the Lazers and failed to add any more runs until the bottom of the sixth.

The Cardinals fell behind 4-0 in the first but were able to answer right away. After loading the bases, the Cardinals got their first run on the board thanks to an error. An RBI single by freshman pitcher Camryn Cropper (Westminster) made it 4-2, followed by an RBI double by freshman right fielder TaShae Welsh (Newtown) that tied the game.

A three-run second inning gave Onondaga a 7-4 lead, which they extended in the third with an RBI single. However, Catonsville came out swinging in the bottom of the inning. With two runners in scoring position, freshman second baseman Erin McGuire (Centennial) hit an RBI single to make it 8-5. Then, freshman center fielder Makenzie Brooks (Hammond) smacked another RBI single, allowing two runs to score. Down 8-7, the Cardinals refused to lie down.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Lazers added five more runs in the next inning, then mowed down Catonsville's batters. After being shut out in two straight innings, the Cardinals trailed 18-7. An RBI single by Bowen managed to cut the deficit to ten runs, but time ran out for a Cardinal rally.

Brooks finished as the leading batter for the Cardinals with three RBIs. Welsh added two RBIs, while McGuire contributed a stolen base and an RBI.

The Cardinals next face off against Howard Community College in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2.

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