La PLUME, Pa. – Senior Lexy Johnson (Newark, Del./Delaware Military Academy) ended game No. 1 on a walk-off solo home run for career hit No. 100 as sophomore pitcher Courtney Cienki (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) followed by delivering a no-hitter to bring out the brooms in the Keystone softball team's double-header sweep of Cairn, 13-5 and 11-0, Saturday afternoon in Colonial States Athletic Conference play at Edmunds Field.
Both games ended in the fifth inning due to the run-ahead rule with at least an eight-run differential.
Defensively, the Giants were flawless with zero committed errors on 23 batted balls.
Brooke Staple (Carbondale, Pa./Carbondale Area) enjoyed a 5-for-6 afternoon-outing at the plate with a combined three runs batted in, a double and five runs scored.
It was also the CSAC opener for both teams as the Giants improved to 8-6 overall (2-0 CSAC) and the Highlanders fell to 2-9 overall, 0-2 CSAC.
Game 1: Cairn 5, Keystone 13 (5 innings)
The Highlanders jumped on the scoreboard early with Jenna Kenyon's lead-off double before scoring on Abbi Heacock's RBI-single in the opening-frame of the game.
Keystone responded with five hits to plate four runs in the bottom half of the inning, getting RBIs from Paige Mokychic (Beaumont, Pa./Tunkhannock Area), Jordan Frye (Cheltenham, Pa./St. Hubert Catholic), Elle Olivero (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) and Mara Brooks (Manassas, Va./Brentsville). The Giants opened the flood gates an inning later with eight runs, highlighted by two-RBI hits from Brooke Staple (Carbondale, Pa./Carbondale Area), Kabrina Birmingham (Burlington, N.J./Burlington City) and a two-run homer by Mokychic.
Cairn scored four more runs over the next few innings before Johnson ended it in bottom of the fifth with the run-rule home run for her 100th career hit.
Heacock was involved in all five of the Highlanders' runs, going 3 for 3 with four RBIs and one run scored.
Hannah Dickson (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett) got the win in the pitching circle, improving to 2-0.
Game 2: Cairn 0, Keystone 11 (5 innings)
Keystone continued racking up the hits in game No. 2 as Cienki got the start in the pitching circle, giving up five walks but delivering five strikeouts and allowing zero hits.
Frye drove in four runs on RBI-singles and a sacrifice fly in going 2 for 2 at the plate. Mokychic and Johnson also each hit 2 for 2 with two RBIs.
The Giants scored all but one of their runs on single-RBI hits.
What's Next
Keystone will be back at home next Wednesday, March 30, to host Valley Forge for a doubleheader (2-4 overall) starting at 3 p.m.
Cairn will host John Jay (1-3 overall) for a non-conference matchup Thursday, March 31 before hosting Cedar Crest (5-8 overall, 0-2 CSAC) Saturday, April 2 in CSAC play.
