EASTON, Pa. – Lafayette secured its first Patriot League softball win of the season with a 5-4 final over Army in game one on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Leopards staked sophomore starter Morrigan Gardiner to a four-run lead by the second inning. Freshman Megan Coyle delivered an RBI-double to the gap in right center field to push the Leopards ahead 2-0. Coyle scored on a Kristen Brown sac fly and the Leopards added another run via Kylee Sweet's single. After sending nine batters to the plate in the second, Lafayette led 4-0.
 
Coyle extended the home team's lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning, plating Sweet with a sac fly for her third RBI of the day.
 
Gardiner, who finished the day with a career-high eight strikeouts, ran into some trouble in the sixth inning. The Black Knights started with the top of the order and cranked out a double and three singles, prompting head coach Karavin Dew to go to the bullpen for Kailee Sawai.
 
Army pushed across four runs before Sawai made a spectacular play to end the inning. The junior made a diving catch on a popped-up bunt and then got to her feet and threw to third base to double off the runner and keep the Leopards ahead 5-4.
 
Army challenged the Leopards in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs. Sawai kept battling toward her first save of the season and got Kaci Donaldson to fly out to Grace Hausamann to end the game. Sawai gave up three hits over two innings and did not allow a run. Gardiner collected the victory, tossing five innings with 8 Ks and one walk.
 
In the series finale, Army pushed across four runs in the first inning and never looked back in an eventual 18-0 final in a series in which the other two games were each one-run decisions.
 
The Black Knights' first three batters of the initial inning scored, including the last two runs of the inning coming home when the Leopard defense lost a shallow pop up in the sun.
 
Army tacked on seven more in the third inning. Army had three RBI-doubles, the final from Brook Mitchell who plated two runs with one of eight hits in the inning. The visitors added five more in the fourth and two in the fifth.
 
Sawai took the loss, allowing six runs on five hits. Army starter Breanna Izzo struck out eight and did not walk a batter in the circle win.  
 
The Leopards finish off their eight-game homestand on Tuesday, hosting Drexel in a doubleheader at 3 p.m.