WESTMINSTER, Md. – Senior Jessica Millard hit her first home run of the season and scored the winning run in game two to lead the McDaniel College softball team to a doubleheader split with Catholic on Thursday.

Millard's homer in game one was the second of her career; she hit her first against Swarthmore on April 20^th, 2024.

The Green Terror (15-19-1) plated four runs in the fourth inning of game one but fell short of a comeback, losing 14-5 in five.

Catholic 14, McDaniel 5 (Game 1)

The Cardinals (24-10) opened game one with a 10-run first inning, highlighted by an RBI triple and a two-run homer. McDaniel scored on an RBI groundout from sophomore Riley Jackson to cut the deficit to nine in the second.

Catholic plated three more runs in the third on three RBI singles to increase the lead to 13-1. The Cardinals added another run in the fourth on another RBI single.

McDaniel began to rally in the bottom of the fourth. Millard led off the inning with a home run, then back-to-back singles from freshman Emma Taff and junior Taylor Applefeld placed two runners on base. Jackson cleared the bases with a two-run triple and later scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to nine.

Two Green Terror runners reached base in the fifth inning but Catholic escaped the jam to win game one, 14-5.

Jackson hit her first career triple in the loss, going 2-for-3 with a career-high three RBIs. Millard went 2-for-2 with a home run and two runs scored while Applefeld hat a two-hit game at the plate. Taff and senior Olivia Dresser also had base hits in game one. 

Senior Hannah Costa took the loss, allowing 10 earned runs on seven hits and four walks. Sophomore Libertie Schatzman finished the game in relief, pitching 4.1 innings while striking out four on eight hits and no walks.

The Green Terror snapped a five-game losing streak with a win in a pitcher's duel in game two.

McDaniel 1, Catholic 0 (Game 2)

Senior Bella Sylvester led off the second game with a double in the first inning. Schatzman was hit by a pitch as both runners moved into scoring position on a groundout, but a pop up ended the inning, stranding both runners.

Sophomore Amy Anderson mowed through the Cardinals lineup, sending Catholic down in order in the second and only allowing one baserunner in the third. Dresser and Sylvester each reached base in the bottom of the third but Schatzman grounded into a double play to retire the side.

The game remained scoreless until the sixth, when Millard reached first on an error with two outs. Junior Sariah Guevara smacked a single into left center field, allowing Millard to score all the way from first to give McDaniel the go-ahead run. Anderson shut down the Cardinals with a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, preserving the shutout for the Green Terror.

Guevara had the lone RBI in game two, finishing 1-for-3 at the plate. Dresser and Sylvester each finished 2-for-3 while Millard reached base with a hit and scored the game's only run.

Anderson threw her fifth complete game of the season in the win, striking out two batters while only allowing six baserunners all game, all reaching on base hits. 

The Green Terror conclude the regular season with a road trip to Haverford on Saturday for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.