WINCHESTER, Va. - Shenandoah University shook off a tough 9-2 loss in the first game of its non-conference softball doubleheader with Catholic University Saturday afternoon to win game two 10-6 and earn a split at Henkel-Harris Field in Winchester.

The Hornets (3-6) committed five errors in the opening game and fell into a 9-0 hole before scraping together a pair of runs in the bottom half of the last inning, but it was too little, too late against the Cardinals (4-6-1). 

Fortunately, SU was able to carry that late game one momentum into the subsequent contest as Shenandoah's bats pounded Catholic's pitching staff for nine runs in the first three innings of the nightcap.

In game one, pitching was the strong suit for the Hornets early on as starting pitcher Kim Hill (St. Paul, Va./Emory&Henry;) held CUA to three earned runs in seven innings pitched, but five errors (including two by Hill) proved to be the SU downfall as the Cardinals established a substantial lead.

Hill, Carrie Harris (Front Royal, Va./Warren Co.), and Teresa Prezzy (Winchester, Va./James Wood) each had a pair of hits for SU in the loss.

The Hornets took out their aggressions on CUA starter Natalie Banasewski in the second game by lighting up the hurler for eight runs (six earned) on eight hits in the first two innings.

Harris and Hill each went 3 for 4 at the plate in the second game and drove in four and three runs, respectively. Freshman centerfielder Alicia Sanders (Wardensville, W.Va./East Hardy) finished a perfect 3 for 4 with a walk in the late game.

SU starting pitcher Gina Riemenschneider (Winchester, Va./James Wood) held the Cardinals to 11 hits and six runs (five earned) as she helped her club to match last season's win total just nine games into the 2004 campaign.

Complete boxscores can be found at: http://www.su.edu/athletics/sb/2004/teamcume.htm

Shenandoah takes the field once again on Tuesday when the Hornets host the Fighting Squirrels of Mary Baldwin in a 4:00 doubleheader.