If anyone left after the first three innings of the second Cathedral-Salem game Thursday night, don’t worry &045;&045; you didn’t miss anything.

The Green Wave had a 5-1 lead at that point and neither team scored a run in the final four innings. That win, and a 5-3 win in the first game, gave Cathedral two wins and raised the team’s record this season to 5-7 overall and 2-3 in district play.

&uot;It feels great. We’re not used to (winning), so it feels real great,&uot; Green Wave shortstop Jordan Chandler said.

The problems Cathedral has had scoring this season weren’t in evidence Monday. The top four hitters in the lineup scored nine of the 10 runs in the two games.

Led by Chandler, who hit an inside-the-park home run and two triples that drove in five runs, the Green Wave just about tore the cover off the ball in both games.

The scoring started early. The Green Wave was the visiting team in the opening game. (Because of the great distance between the schools, they alternate playing doubleheaders at one team’s home field each year. Each team plays one game as home team as one as road.)

Cathedral leadoff batter Kristina Brumfield hit a triple to open the game, then came home on Chandler’s two-run home run. Cathedral didn’t score again until the fourth inning, when Chandler got a leadoff walk. Megan Whittington reached on an error, and then third baseman Kalin Kirkwood hit a single that scored Chandler and Whittington and gave Cathedral a lead the Lady Cats couldn’t catch up to.

&uot;We’ve lost a lot of games, so (head coach) Erin (Binns) told me I had to do something, so I did something,&uot; Chandler said.

In the bottom of the fourth, Salem’s Carla Barnes led off with a double, then was driven home by Whitney Vince, who moved up to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Latandra Montgomery.

In the second game, Cathedral did its scoring early. Chandler, second baseman Emily Stevens and outfielder Alex Roberts all scored in the first inning, giving the Green Wave all the runs it would need. After a first inning run, Cathedral shut out the Lady Cats for the final six innings.

For the Lady Cats, nothing seemed to go right. In the first game, they outhit Cathedral 10 to seven but couldn’t make those hits translate into runs. Four Salem errors were especially costly.

In the nightcap, Salem squandered its best opportunity in the second inning. Pitcher Janna King came up with the bases loaded and one out. King hit a drive down the third-base line where Cathedral’s Caitlin Huffines snagged it, then threw the ball to third for the double play where Salem’s Megan Murrell had already run home, thinking the drive was a hit.

&uot;It was two tough losses. Our whole team has really been down since we lost our best player two weeks ago,&uot; Salem head coach Bird Martin said. &uot;They try hard, we make errors. We’re just trying to end the season now.&uot;

Cathedral’s coach, on the other hand, couldn’t be happier with the way her team is playing.

&uot;It’s always good to win two games, especially when you come off a bad week like we had last week,&uot; Binns said. &uot;They played pretty well. Overall, I guess I was pleased.&uot;

Cathedral has struggled mightily at times this season, but the wins put the Green Wave within striking distance of a .500 record.