CLERMONT, Fla. - Rounding out the opening day of their Florida trip, the University of Mary Softball team took on Dowling College and Cedarville University to start the Dot Richardson Spring Games.
 
Both games ended up going to extra innings but the Marauders (2-6) ended up on the losing side of both as they fell to Dowling College (1-0), 10-9, before falling to Cedarville (1-1), 11-9.
 
The first game of the day for U-Mary was against Dowling College and the Marauders found themselves down early as the Golden Lions scored a run off a walk before getting an RBI single that scored two more runs and put U-Mary down 3-0 after the first.
 
The Marauders were able to chip away in the top half of the second, as they were the visiting team on the scoreboard and Kristin Ormsby sent a shot down the right field line that scored Amber Gamboa, who doubled to right field to lead off the inning.
 
In the next half inning for U-Mary, Gamboa sent an RBI single to right field, scoring Julissa Perales and Nena Dudley, evening up the score for the Marauders at 3-3 going into the bottom of the third.
 
The Golden Lions broke the tie in the bottom half of the third after Arianna La Puma singled to get on base but ended up scoring on an errant throw from Gamboa, putting the score back at 4-3.
 
Both teams remained scoreless for the next two innings as both pitchers seemed to find their groove, but U-Mary broke the tie after Ormsby sent a fly ball into the right field foul territory and it was deep enough for Gamboa to score from third, knotting the score back at 4-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
It turned into another pitchers duel from there, as the Golden Lions still couldn't get any offensive output going, and after heading into extra innings the Marauders opened up the scoring in the top of the eighth.
 
Utilizing tiebreaker rules the Marauders had Gamboa placed on second to being the inning and they wasted little time moving to third as Colleen Crutchfield put down a sacrifice bunt to move her.
 
Ormsby came up next and tripled down the right field line, scoring Gamboa, and after two more walks, the Marauders had bases loaded with one out. Alana Norman drew the fielder's choice as Ormsby was thrown out at the plate, but Dudley came up next and reached on an error by the third baseman, scoring Erin Keen.
 
Perales came up next and cleared the bases with a double to center field and the Marauders held a commanding 9-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.
 
Of course with every action comes an equal and opposite reaction and Dowling College responded in kind as they advanced the runner on second with a sacrifice bunt and scored her on a single through the left side.
 
After an unfortunate series of errors, the Golden Lions got the tying run to third base off a groundout to second base which was the culmination of an error by Francine Villalobos and a passed ball, putting the score at 9-8, and they ended the game with another RBI groundout, scoring two more runs and handing the Marauders their fifth loss of the season.
 
Gamboa brought the power in the first game as she was a home run shy of the cycle and finished batting 3-of-4 with a single, double, and home run, along with three runs and two RBI.
 
Ormsby provided a big bat as well with a final line of 2-of-3 with a triple and three RBI. Meanwhile, Perales also brought in three RBI as she finished 2-of-4 with a double and a walk.
 
Keen went the distance in the circle for U-Mary but is still searching for her first win of the year as she finished with 7.2 innings pitched, five strikeouts, and four earned runs.
 
Hoping for a rebound in the second game of the day, the Marauders took on Cedarville University in the midafternoon game, and they got on the board in the bottom half of the first inning after Norman and Dudley both reached on walks and Perales drove them home with a RBI double to right field.
 
U-Mary added to their lead after Gamboa sent a shot to right field, scoring Taylor Mendez in the bottom of the third, but since no lead is ever safe, the Yellow Jackets got on the board in the top of the fourth with back to back triples and a sacrifice bunt, tying the score at 3-3.
 
The Marauders retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth after Norman doubled down the lf line, scoring Keen who tripled in her at bat; but Cedarville came right back in the top of the fifth with an RBI double and RBI triple, scoring four runs total and putting U-Mary back down at 7-4 after five.
 
After a few scoreless innings, the Marauders were down to their last at bat in the bottom of the seventh, but luck appeared to be on their side in the inning. Dudley led off the inning by beating out a groundball to the shortstop but was out at second after a fielder's choice groundball from Perales. Mendez struck out swinging and U-Mary woke up the two-out rally monkey as Ormsby sent a sky-high fly ball to left field that was caught by the wind and fell in front of the left fielder. Trying to catch Ormsby on her way to second, the throw ended sailing wide and when the dust finally settled the Marauders ended up with two more runs and inched closer to the Yellow Jackets at 7-6. Demaree Rodrgiuez kept the inning alive with a single up the middle, scoring Ormsby, but was stranded at first base as Keen struck out looking, ending the inning.
 
Heading into extra innings for the second time in as many games, the difference maker turned out to be a three-run shot from Danielle Wolgamot, putting the Yellow Jackets ahead at 10-7, but Cedarville would add one more in the inning as Samantha Hayner scored from third off an errant throw on a back pick to second base, putting the score at 11-7.
 
The Marauders tried to kick start another rally in the bottom of the eighth and it appeared it was heading that way after Dudley doubled down the left field line, scoring two more to put the score at 11-9, but the rally was cut short as back-to-back groundballs ended the game and gave U-Mary another loss on the day.
 
Gamboa maintained her pace for the day with another 3-of-4 performance with a double and one RBI. Dudley also got a three-hit game as she finished 3-of-4 with a double and two RBI. Keen finished with two hits in the game, both triples, and scored both times she reached base.
 
Head Coach KJ Kelley had this to say about today's games, "Offensivly we were able to produce the runs to win the ball game, we just fell short at the end. Defensively we need to be more aggressive and work together as a team and make the plays that are needed. Pitchers need to set the tone from the start and go after the batters and get ahead. If we can do that collectively as a team then we will be successful."
 
The Marauders continue their spring break trip tomorrow with two games against the New York Institute of Technology starting at 4:00 p.m. CDT.
 
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