WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Franciscan softball team completed a dramatic doubleheader sweep of the Washington & Jefferson Presidents with a 3-2 eight inning win in the opening game before the Lady Barons rallied for a 7-3 win in the nightcap, Sunday.
 
After three scoreless innings in the first game, the Presidents took the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth as Brooklynn Miller brought home Laura Ryder with a ground out. The lead would be short lived, however, as junior Dennise Carrazco dropped a ball in between the second base bag and center field that allowed freshman Chloe Cross to come home.
 
Brooke McCleester homered to left to put W&J back on top in the bottom of fifth. After a scoreless sixth for both sides, freshman Rachel Cooper singled up the middle to lead off the seventh. Cooper then stole second before Carrazco moved her to third with a ground out to second. Freshman Anna Swierczewski tied the game back up at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly to center to score Cooper.
 
Freshman Tori Luyster got the leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh before giving up a double. Luyster was able to pitch herself out of any trouble as she got a ground out and a pop up to left to end the seventh and send the game into extras.
 
With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Cross reached on a fielder's choice that brought home Luyster and gave Franciscan a 3-2 lead. The international tie breaker rule placed a runner on second in the bottom of the eighth, but Carrazco was able to get the runner out with a head's up a play on the first pitch of the inning as she went to third with the ground ball. Luyster struck out the next batter for the second out. After a single to right put two runners on, Luyster induced a ground out to shortstop to end the game.
 
Luyster came out in the third in relief and picked up her first career win for the Lady Barons.
 
"I was super proud of how Tori," commented head coach Jim Walker. "She came out in relief in a stressful situation and picked up her first career win."
 
The Presidents took a 3-0 lead in the second game and seemed to be cruising until the Lady Barons put up four runs in the top of the fifth to take the 4-3 lead.
 
With two runners on, Carrazco singled and advanced to second as Cooper and sophomore Allyson Weiss came around to score to cut the lead to 3-2. Swierczewski followed with a single in the next at bat to score Carrazco and tie the game at 3-3. Senior Anna Ames delivered the the game-winning hit as she doubled to left and brought home Swierczewski for the 4-3 lead in the fifth.
 
Cooper added a run in the top of the sixth with an RBI single to bring home Weiss before Swierczewski knocked in the game's final two runs with her second career home run with Cooper on base.
 
Freshman starter Sarah Keating posted a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth before getting a pair of ground outs in the bottom of the seventh to get out of any trouble and wrap up her fifth win of the year.
 
"Today was a really good way head into conference play – the girls are starting to see that we can be pretty good," remarked Coach Walker. "Ames has been rock solid at third base for us this year and has been producing offensively and that makes our lineup really potent."
 
The Lady Barons open Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference action on Wednesday as they welcome Mt. Aloysius to Steubenville for a 3:00 pm doubleheader.