WESTMINSTER, Md. – Washington (Md.) used a three-run third inning to help stave off elimination, defeating McDaniel 7-4 in the first elimination game of the 2017 Centennial Conference (CC) softball tournament on Saturday.

Stacie Maring (Woodbine, Md./South Carroll) led the top-seeded Green Terror (24-17-1) with three of her team's six hits.

Rachel Butler had three hits and three RBIs to lead the second-seeded Shorewomen (25-15), who will now have to play Gettysburg in an elimination game to open action on Sunday at 10 a.m. The winner of that game will meet Franklin & Marshall in the championship to follow.

Trailing 4-2 going to the second inning after rain halted play for nearly two-and-a-half hours, Washington got a pop-up double play on a suicide squeeze attempt with one out.

McDaniel turned a double play of its own in the bottom of the second to get out a jam.

In the bottom of the third, Maddie Bennett reached on a fielding error to lead off the frame before singles by Erin Spinden and Butler closed the deficit to one.

A two-out double to the gap by Leah Stokes made it a 5-4 lead.

Taylor Harcum led off the fourth with a rocket right back to the pitcher to reach on the infield single before back-to-back singles by Elaina DiPrimio and Bennett loaded the bases.

Spinden drew a walk to force in Harcum before Jamie Weisser (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) came on in relief and got a ground ball, foul out and strikeout to keep it a two-run game.

Singled by Spinden and Butler with one out in the sixth and a groundout coupled with an error put runners at second and third with two outs.

Kerri Estep poked a single into the gap to set the final margin.

The Green Terror jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first.

After Maring singled and stole second, Payton Lewis (Valrico, Fla./Durant) drew a one-out walk.

Tayler Hishon (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Olivia Kipe (Manchester, Md./Manchester Valley) and Megan Coyle (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Walsh) each drew walks to force in runs and chase the Shorewomen starter.

With two outs, Haley Michael (Oldsmar, Fla./East Lake) sliced a ball off the third baseman's glove to plate Hishon before Morgan Scardina (Pasadena, Md./Seton Keough) drew another bases loaded walk for a 4-0 lead.

A walk and fielder's choice coupled with a Bennett single put runners at first and second in the bottom of the first with two outs. A throwing error and Butler double down the third-base line cut the deficit in half.

Harcum pitched 6 2/3 innings in relief, striking out seven and not allowing a run to pick up the win for Washington.

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