MADISON, N.J. - The Drew University softball team lost a pair of close games to Catholic University in its home opener on Sunday in Landmark Conference (LC) action at the Drew Softball Complex.

The Cardinals (4-0, 4-0 LC) prevailed 6-3 in the opener, then rallied for a 4-3 win in eight innings in the nightcap to complete a four-game sweep. 

Junior Madi Precht went 3-for-6 at the plate for the Rangers (0-4, 0-4 LC) while sophomores Bailey Comeau and Brianna Seals each tossed complete games.

In the first game, Catholic never trailed after jumping out to a 3-0 lead over the first two innings versus Comeau. The Rangers got on the scoreboard with a run in the third, when freshman Francesca Laurito led off with a double and scored on a single from Precht.

The Cardinals pushed across three more runs over the fourth and fifth to make it 6-1. The Rangers made it a three-run game when they pushed across two in the sixth, which was highlighted by an RBI-double from senior Sophie Sirota. 

Drew rallied in the seventh and had the tying run at the plate when juniors Paxtan Perry and MaKayla Sosa singled. However, starting pitcher Katie Hurd induced a groundout to end the game. 

Precht and Perry each collected two hits for the Rangers in the opener. 

Drew led for all but one inning in Game Two after pushing across two runs in the bottom of the first, when the Rangers utilized two walks, a hit batsman, a single, and sacrifice fly from junior Renata Primmer.

Seals blanked the Cardinals over the first five innings and worked out of a jam each inning from the fourth through the seventh. In the fourth, Catholic loaded the bases with no outs, but Seals induced three straight outs. Then in the fifth, Catholic had the bags full again with two outs when Seals escaped with a groundout back to herself.

The Cardinals broke up Seals' shutout in the sixth, scoring a run on three straight one-out singles. However, Precht prevented further damage with a tremendous play, making a diving catch on a flyball in left-center, then firing to second to pick off a runner to end the inning.

Catholic pulled even with two runs in the top of the seventh before the Rangers nearly won it in the bottom of the frame. Sosa drew a one-out walk before Precht singled off reliever Allie Lajueness. After the two executed a double steal to move up to second and third, with two outs Primmer struck a ball back in the box, where Lajueness knocked it down. She tracked down the ball and made a throw just in time at first as Sosa crossed the plate with what was nearly the game-winning run.

Seals recorded the first two outs in the seventh before Giselle Diaz reached on an error. She went on to score on a single from Sammy Phillips before Lajueness worked a three-up, three-down eighth to end the game.

Seals allowed just two earned runs, struck out one and walked three while stranding 13 Cardinals on the bases.

The Rangers return to action next weekend when they take on Landmark Conference foe Elizabethtown College in another four-game series, starting with a home doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.