By: Ryan Gasser, sports information director

NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The Capital University softball team pulled together and earned a split in its action against Muskingum University, which had received votes in the latest NFCA Top 25 poll.

Capital, now 10-22 overall and 2-8 in OAC play, will prep for its rivalry series against Otterbein University at home on Saturday. Play from Clowson Field will begin at 1 p.m.

GAME 1 - Capital 8, Muskingum 4

Wednesday's first game featured an explosive six-run opening inning for Capital which propelled them to victory. The Crusaders blasted two home runs in the inning, including a grand slam hit by Lauren Kachure. Kachure's first collegiate home run helped Capital build a 6-0 lead in the opening inning. Kachure's powerful blast was preceded by Chevonne Hayslett's fourth home run of the season, a two-run blast to score leadoff hitter Alyx Slusher.

Both teams were held scoreless from that point on until the bottom of the sixth inning when Muskingum plated two runs for the first of two occasions. Rachel Eberling hit her eighth home run of the season, a solo shot, before Hannah Miller hit a run-scoring single two batters later.

Cap did get those runs back after a sac fly by Erica Ogden followed by an RBI single by Kachure, marking her fifth ribbie of the game.

Muskingum scored twice more in the seventh, but Hayslett came in to help extinguish the flames and preserve the win despite a bases-loaded, one out situation.

Brianna Reardon (W, 7-9) went five innings without having given up a run. She finished having surrendered four runs in 6.1 innings on 10 hits before being relieved.

GAME 2 - Capital 2, Muskingum 4

Both teams swapped runs in the first inning and all the action occurred within the first three frames.

Morgan Fadel rolled out a double and later came around to score on Kristen Mellott's single to right field. Almost in identical fashion, Muskingum returned the favor in their first at bat when Bailey Waitkus doubles and came around to score on Jaelyn Meade's game-tying single.

The bottom of the lineup came out to help the Muskies take the lead. After Hayslett (L, 2-8), who started game two, allowed the first two batters to reach base and advance to second and third. Two sacrifice flies gave Musky a 3-1 lead but the rally was stopped with a heads-up play at second when they pegged Krissy Hughes heading to third on the final fly.

A pair of errors in the field helped the hosts add one more run to its line and then Rachel Eberling (W, 7-2) shut down the Capital offense over the final four innings to preserve the win. Cap loaded the bases in the seventh but Fadel hit into a double play to end the game and strand all runners on base in a 4-2 loss.