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The Lady Rams dropped a pair of contests to St. Catharine, Saturday in Mid-South Conference softball action.

Tim Hartin

March 16, 2013

The Lady Rams dropped a pair of contests to St. Catharine, Saturday in Mid-South Conference softball action. The visiting Patriots took each game by a 4-1 score for the sweep.

Game 1: St. Catharine 4, Bluefield 1

The Patriots found the scoreboard in the top of the first. Lead-off batter Hagan Goldey reached on an infield single, stole second then advanced to third on a Brittany McKee single. Goldey crossed the plate on a groundout to give the Patriots a 1-0 lead.

Bluefield answered back in the bottom of the frame, beginning with a lead-off walk from Jessica Dutka. After stealing her fourth base of the year, Dutka was driven home on a Kourtney McGrady single to deep left-center field. St. Catharine starting pitcher, McKee, then forced a pair of pop outs to close the inning.

McKee helped her own cause even more in the top of the third inning, driving a single to center which brought in a pair of runners.

The Patriots added one more run in the fourth and neither team plated another run, giving St. Catharine the 4-1 win.

Megan Meismer (4-6) took the loss for the Lady Rams, despite giving up just five hits. McKee (3-4) earned the victory in the two-hit effort, as she retired 11-straight Bluefield batters to close the game.

Game 2: St. Catharine 4, Bluefield 1

St. Catharine also tallied a run in the first inning to begin game two. After each of the first three batters reach base, Goldey scored on a sacrifice fly from Taylor Steff. A pop out to first and Aline Uehara’s first strikeout of the day ended the Patriots’ scoring threat.

Bluefield also loaded the bases in the first, but a pop out and a double play halted the Lady Rams’ scoring chance.

The game remained 1-0 in favor of St. Catharine until the fourth, as the visitors once again loaded the bases with no outs. An Emily Fenwick groundout scored Goldey before Bluefield got out of the jam with a pair of fly outs.

The Lady Rams continued to piece together hits, but could not come up with a timely hit.

St. Catharine posted a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh on a two-out, two-run homerun from Steff.

Bluefield looked to rally in their final at bat, loading the bases once again. A passed ball scored Dutka, who opened the inning with a base knock. St. Catharine eased out of the jam once again, though, forcing a pop out and another inning-ending double play.

Bluefield outhit the Patriots 9-5 in the second game, but left 10 runners on base.

Ashley Hardin (3-2) earned the win for the Patriots striking out five, while Uehara (2-8) received the loss despite eight strikeouts.

Bluefield is slated to host Tennessee Temple on Monday, with the first game beginning at 2 p.m. The Lady Rams split a pair with the Crusaders earlier in the month.

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