PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia University softball team will make its second straight appearance in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament after sweeping conference opponent Chestnut Hill, 7-6 in eight innings and 6-3, Tuesday afternoon.

Philadelphia has won four straight games and improves 24-11 overall and 14-9 in CACC play. Chestnut Hill is now 6-26 overall, 6-18 against the conference.

GAME ONE
Philadelphia would be forced to come from behind in the opener as Chestnut Hill scored four times thanks to a one-out rally in the bottom of the first inning. Emily Soller drove in two runs with a base hit to center, while Sofia Cedrone added a RBI single to right.

The Rams started their comeback with a single run in the third on a safety squeeze by sophomore catcher Mollie Burrell (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) to bring junior catcher Stephanie Martin (Hanover, Md./Seton Keough) home from third.

One inning later, Philadelphia trimmed two more runs off the Chestnut Hill advantage as freshman left fielder Shannon Weaver (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) delivered a RBI single and Martin came through with a double to center that scored Weaver make it a 4-3 game.

The Rams were able to complete their comeback in the seventh as they tied the game at four. Sophomore pitcher Kasia Smith (Waddell, Ariz./Estrella Foothills) doubled with one out to put herself in scoring position. Smith wasn't as second long as Burrell came up next and singled to center and allowed Smith to score the tying run.

Chestnut Hill had a chance to end the game in the last of the seventh with back-to-back singles from Laura Eidam and Megan Kehr to open the frame. Smith settled down and got a ground out, line out, and fly out to get out of trouble and send the game to extra innings.

Sophomore right fielder Renee Karakera (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) led off the eighth with a single and stole second base. Senior center fielder Samantha Riabko (Haddon Twp., N.J./Haddon Twp.) singled Karakera to third and stole second to put two Rams in scoring position.

Martin gave Philadelphia a 5-4 lead with a sacrifice fly to left. Riabko scored Philadelphia's sixth run when Nicole Carney dropped a fly ball off the bat of senior second baseman Meaghan Lewis (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Valley). Burrrell made it a 7-4 game with a RBI single to score Lewis.

Chestnut Hill did not go away quietly as it managed to load the bases with just one out. Eidam roped a ground-rule double to left center to score two runs and put the winning run at second base.

Once again, Smith was able to get out of trouble by getting Kehr to ground out to second and Ashleigh Sharp to ground out to first to end the game.

Burrell and freshman third baseman Meghan Loughery (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville Area) each went 3-for-5, while Riabko and Martin had two hits apiece. The Griffins' Cedrone and Kehr recorded two hits.

Philadelphia outhit Chestnut Hill 15-8.

Smith earned the win (7-4) as she fanned nine in a complete-game effort. Courtney Dayter gave up seven runs on 13 hits and struck out four to take the loss (2-9).

GAME TWO
After a scoreless first inning, Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a Weaver ground rule double to score junior pitcher Nicole Troisi (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II), who singled and went to second on an error to start the inning.

Lewis doubled the lead to 2-0 with a solo home run, her team-leading sixth, with one out in the top of the third inning.

With Loughery and junior left fielder Emma Haley (Jensen Beach, Fla./Jensen Beach) on base via singles, Karakera hit a double to left to plate both runners and give the Rams a 4-0 lead after the top of the fourth.

Eidam capped a Griffin two-out rally in the home half of the fourth with a three-run home run to pull Chestnut Hill within 4-3. Soller doubled and Cedrone walked in front of Eidam to reach base.

Philadelphia got two runs back in the sixth to retake a three-run lead at 6-3. Haley had a run-producing fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch.

Lewis, Burrell, and Loughery led the Rams' 10-hit attack with two hits each. Six different players had one hit for Chestnut Hill.

Troisi earned the complete-game win (7-5) with two strikeouts over the seven innings. Briannen Holloway (3-12) struck out seven, but allowed six runs on 10 hits.

Philadelphia heads to Dominican (N.Y.) to play its third doubleheader in three days on Wednesday, April 23 at 3 p.m. Game one is a reschedule CACC game and game two will be non-conference.