On a cold, overcast and blustery day at Bracken Field, the John Carroll softball team offered up a present to those loyal fans who braved the elements.

With a pair of dramatic last at bat wins, the Blue Streaks swept the visiting Capital Crusaders by scores of 5-3 and 9-8.

Box Scores:  Game One  /  Game Two

The Blue Streaks were on the prowl early on in the opener, using a solo home run by Erin Riccardi (North Canton, Hoover) in the first inning and an RBI double by Brittany Danilov (Canfield, OH, Canfield)in the second to take a 2-0 lead. 

Attempts to build on the lead were thwarted however as JCU stranded three runners in the third and two more in the fourth.

Capital, which had an anemic start to the contest, broke through in the fifth. A two-out two-run single by Jessica Stoltz knotted the game at 2-2.

Both teams added another run before the regulation seven innings expired, sending the contest into extra innings. After unevenful eighth and ninth innings, the tenth offered fireworks. First, Capital was able to get the lead off batter on, and then over to third base with two outs but could not bring her home.

John Carroll also had a promising start to the home half of the tenth, but after two outs still had Danilov standing at first.

Michelle Murphy (Erie, PA, Villa Maria Academy) would set off a celebration as she smacked a two-run home run over the fence in left center for a dramatic 5-3 win.

Danilov went the distance, allowing nine hit in ten innings, striking out nien while walking three.

In the second game, Capital appeared poised to earn a split when it turned an early 5-2 deficit into an 8-5 lead after its half of the sixth innings.

But John Carroll got a single run in the sixth, and then came up with an amazing seventh inning rally.

After Capital recorded the first out on the first batter of the frame, Danilov and Laura Boselovic (Wexford, PA, North Allegheny) both singled to get the rally started. Game one hero Murphy then singled to score Danilov and pull the Streaks to within 8-7.

A walk to Julie Marlowe (Harmony, PA, Seneca Valley) loaded the bases, and a single by Mackenzie Griffin (Lake Oswego, OR, Lakeridge) scored pinch runner Katie Knox to tie the game at 8-8.

Still with only one out recorded, Riccardi just needed to put a good swing on the ball to complete the come-from-behind victory, and she did by blasting a ball to deep left field, enabling Murphy to come home on the sacrifice fly with the game-winning tally.

Danilov picked up her tenth win of the year in relief.

John Carroll is now 18-12 overall and 7-3 in the OAC. Capital slips to 19-12 overall and 4-6 in conference play.