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PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Post University softball team split a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) doubleheader with the University of the Sciences on Saturday, Apr. 25. The Eagles fell short in a slugfest in game one, but got even in the second game edging the Devils 3-1. Post will enter the CACC Tournament as the fourth seed with a 17-9 conference record, and 23-17 overall.

Game One – USciences 9, Post 5
Senior Kaitlin Derby (Douglaston, N.Y.) made her 19^th appearance of the season when she got the nod for the Eagles in game one of the doubleheader. With back-to-back road trip starts, Derby was on a short leash and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.

The Eagles wasted no time and pushed one across with their first raps of the game. With two outs and all bases occupied, first-year Korie McDonald (Middleboro, Mass.) punched a single through the left side to score sophomore Kristen Owens (Exton, Pa.) who worked a walk earlier in the inning.

Derby silenced the Devil bats through three innings, but USciences got a timely piece of hitting from Katie Dickson (Swedesboro, N.J.) in the fourth with a two-RBI single.

First-year Emily Schaffer (Hazlet, N.J.) gave relief in the inning and tossed 2.1 innings. She allowed seven runs (three earned) on seven hits.

USciences tacked on another in the bottom-half of the fifth inning, but Post answered with one of their own when first-year Nicole Venturini (Scituate, R.I.) delivered a sacrifice fly to deep center field.

The Devils posted six runs on six hits in the sixth inning to take a commanding 9-2 lead into the seventh.

Sophomore Karoline Prevost (Fall River, Mass.) recorded the final out of the sixth inning. She faced three batters and allowed two hits.

Looking for a rally, Schaffer launched a double to center field to bring home both Kayla Kresley (Alburtis, Pa.) and Owens. McDonald collected her second RBI of the game by driving in Schaffer with a single to left field, but Post ran out of outs and was defeated 9-5 in game one.

USciences' starter Cassie Lapotsky (Ashland, Pa.) picked up her fourth win of the season and Derby falls to 8-6 on the season.

Game Two – Post 3, USciences 1
Junior Samantha Esque (Springfield, Pa.) took her conference leading 0.96 earned run average to the circle in game two and lived up to expectations. She allowed just one run over nine hits and struck out five.

Owens worked a lead-off walk to begin the game and sophomore Natalie Lennox (Landenberg, Pa.) moved her over on a sacrifice bunt. Owens advanced to third on a base knock by Kresley, and Schaffer took care of business with a sacrifice fly to center to give her team an early 1-0 advantage.

Esque worked herself out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom-half of the second inning with a big two-out strikeout to preserve the lead.

The Devils manufactured a run in the fifth inning as a result of a single and a sacrifice bunt to put a runner in scoring position. Barbie Barron (Sicklerville, N.J.) served a three-bagger to right center to even the score at 1-1.

Owens ignited the Post offense again in the seventh with an infield single. Just like they drew it up, the sacrifice by Lennox was successful and Kresley delivered the RBI-double to left field. With two outs in the inning, Venturini gave some insurance with a RBI-single up the middle to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead.

Esque retired the Devils in the bottom-half of the seventh to earn her career-high 10^th win of the season. USciences' Nicole Ayers (Abbottstown, Pa.) fell to 4-8 on the year.

On Deck: The Eagles have locked up the fourth seed in the CACC Tournament beginning Thursday, Apr. 30, but will stay tuned for their opponent in the final days of the regular season.