By Anthony Socrates, Sports Information Intern
 
WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson softball team split its Presidents' Athletic Conference opening doubleheader against Bethany with the score of the first game in favor of the Presidents 7-1 and the second game favoring Bethany 6-2.
 
W&J moves to 4-10 on the year and 1-1 in the PAC with the split.
 
In game one of the twinbill, Bethany struck first by scoring one in the top of the first inning. In the bottom half of the frame, W&J's Rachel Marx and Morgan Figura led off the inning by hitting back-to-back home runs to take a 2-1. The solo shot was Figura's first home run of her career.
 
After four innings of stingy defense, Figura and Abby Cunningham each recorded a single in the fifth. The pair of singles set up a Logann Woodley base hit, plating Figura and advancing Cunningham to third. In the next at bat, Jamie Smith would improve the score to 4-1 by grounding out to the shortstop and scoring Cunningham.
 
Meghan Staab opened the top of the sixth with a triple down the left-field line. Directly following Staab's triple, Marx would single to drive in a run and increase the lead to 5-1. Following the Presidents' score, Figura would belt her second career homer, a two-run shot that concluding W&J's scoring at 7-1.
 
Krista McCartney would close out the seventh improving her record to 3-5 this season, while pitching her third complete game of the year. McCartney recorded three strikeouts and allowed one earned run on four hits.
 
In game two, Bethany would again strike first in the top of the second and then add another run in the top of the third making the score 2-0.
 
W&J tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer by Staab, her first this season.
 
However, Bethany's Marissa Bosley would go on to hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh to push the game out of reach with the Bison winning 6-2.
 
McCartney suffered the loss in relief of starter Taylor Andres, working the final 4.1 and allowing the four unearned runs on the grand slam. McCartney recorded three strikeouts and allowed four unearned runs on six hits while Andres allowed two earned runs on three hits in 2.2 innings.
 
The Presidents scheduled doubleheader against Marietta on Sunday, April 3, has been postponed with a makeup date to be determined. The next scheduled game is a PAC doubleheader at Westminster Thursday, April 7, with the first game slated to start at 3:30 p.m.