WASHINGTON, DC – The Drew University softball team came away with a split on Sunday in a Landmark Conference doubleheader at Catholic University.
 
The Rangers (13-9, 2-2 LC) won the opener 2-1 before the Cardinals captured the nightcap 3-2 in eight innings on a walk-off home run.
 
Senior Molly O'Brien smacked a two-run homer in the top of the first in the opener and finished the day 5-for-6 with five stolen bases. She has now swiped 22 bases - just one shy of her own single-season school record set last year - and has yet to be thrown out this season.
 
Senior Madi Precht got things started against Catholic (12-9, 2-2 LC) with a bunt single leading off the game. Two batters later, O'Brien drilled her fourth home run of the season.
 
 It proved to be enough offense for senior pitcher Bailey Comeau, who fired a six-hitter while striking out 11 – just two shy of the school record that she shares. Comeau (6-2) now had 23 strikeouts over her last two games. She also moved up two spots on Drew's career strikeouts list and is now third with 237 Ks. She surpassed Laura D'Ornellas C'15 (231) and Head Coach Erica Mehalick C'03 (234).
 
Comeau blanked the Cardinals over the first two innings before the hosts scored their lone run on a pair of hits in the third.
 
Catholic threatened in the seventh, when it loaded the bases with outs, but Comeau induced a game-ending flyout.
 
O'Brien finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases while Precht went 2-for-3.
 
The Rangers also struck first in the second game, when sophomore Deja Robinson stole home on a double steal. The Cardinals answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Drew pushed across another run in the third. O'Brien led off with an infield single and swiped second and third before scoring on an errant throw to third.
 
The Cardinals pulled even at 2-2 with two hits in the fifth.
 
The Rangers threatened in the seventh, putting runners on first and second with no outs, as freshman Haley Meierhofer singled before O'Brien was hit by a pitch. However, Catholic relief pitcher Olivia Stinchcomb coaxed three fly-balls outs to escape.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Katie Scolese led off with a home run to end the game for the Cardinals.
 
O'Brien finished 2-for-2 with three steals in the second game while Precht, Meierhofer, and freshman Aurora Marino each went 2-for-4.
 
Sophomore Teagan Bradley (3-5) pitched for the Rangers and went the distance, scattering 12 hits while yielding no walks.
 
Stinchcomb (3-2) blanked Drew on two hits over the final 3 2/3 innings.
 
The Rangers begin a stretch of five straight home doubleheaders on Tuesday, when they take on Delaware Valley University in non-conference action starting at 3 p.m.