CLERMONT, Fla. - Heading into the final weekend of their Florida trip, the University of Mary Softball team took on Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the University of Findlay on the day that was defined by a tale of two teams.
 
The Marauders (7-13) won the first game over IUP (0-4) in a fierce 5-4 victory, but errors in the field turned into a 7-2 loss to Findlay (8-5) as U-Mary drew another split in the Dot Richardson Spring Games.
 
The first inning has been critical for the Marauders this year in getting on the board early in the game and they maintained that momentum against the Crimson Hawks as they scored the first run of the game after Julissa Perales laced a two-out double to center field and ended up scoring on a passed ball, giving U-Mary a 1-0 lead.
 
IUP got the run back in the top of the second, though, off an RBI single from Megan Gould that scored Rachel Francis and knotted the score at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the second.
 
The Marauders responded in kind, however, as Colleen Crutchfield laced a double to left center, scoring Alexandra McDermott from second base, putting the lead back at 2-1 in favor of U-Mary.
 
The game remained close up until the top of the fourth when the Crimson Hawks jumped ahead of the Marauders after they scored three runs in the inning; first off a sacrifice fly, followed by a dropped third strike and an errant throw from Amber Gamboa, and finished off with a slap single back that ricocheted off the pitcher. When the dust finally settled the Marauders were down 4-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
U-Mary wasn't out of it though, as they fought back with everything they had and tied the game up in the next half inning as Demaree Rodriguez sent a potential sacrifice fly to left field that was dropped by the fielder and allowed Crutchfield to score.
 
Kristin Ormsby drove in the tying run as her single to left field brought Nicole O'Haver around and the Marauders were quick to bounce back from the mental mistakes to tie the game back up at 4-4.
 
The difference maker turned out to be Francine Villalobos and Gamboa as Villalobos led off the bottom of the fifth with a triple down the left field line and Gamboa brought her across with a sacrifice fly to center field, giving U-Mary the lead at 5-4 heading into the top of the sixth.
 
Nena Dudley went the distance for the Marauders in the game as the Crimson Hawks threatened to tie the game in the seventh inning as they got a two-out single down the right field line, but Dudley struck out the final batter in the game for her 12th strikeout of the game, giving U-Mary the win, 5-4, over IUP.
 
Crutchfield and Ormsby were both able to record multi-hit hits as both Marauders got two in the game; Crutchfield got a double and triple with one RBI and one run, while Ormsby got two singles, a stolen base, and one RBI.
 
U-Mary wasn't done on the day as they took on Findlay in the second game and the Marauders dug themselves a hole late in the game in an eventual 7-2 loss, but they were able to stay in the game before the mistakes set in.
 
The Marauders were unable to keep up their first inning production against the Oilers, but Findlay jumped on the board in the bottom of the first with Abby Funk's single to the shortstop that scored Brooke Scherger, while a single to right field from Lauren Trumpler initially scored Funk, but Emily Stewart ended up scoring on the play as well when the throw back into the plate got away from Gamboa.
 
U-Mary did get on the board in the top of the second when Villalobos scored on a triple from Gamboa to right field, putting the score at 3-1, but the Oilers got the run back in the bottom of the second when Funk reached on a fielder's choice that scored Meredith Sheperd.
 
The Marauders cut into the lead in the top of the sixth when Norman had a bloop single to center field that scored Villalobos, putting the score at 4-2, but the mistakes finally set in for the Marauders in the bottom of the sixth when Funk reached on a fielders choice with the bases loaded and two runs scored off an error by Crutchfield at third base. Findlay got one more in the inning when Amanda Badertscher scored on a wild pitch that put the score at 7-2.
 
U-Mary had a runner on base in the top of the seventh when Taylor Mendez was hit by a pitch, but the rally monkey was nowhere to be found as the Marauders fell 7-2 to the Oilers in the second game of the day.
 
Villalobos and Gamboa were able to record multi-hit games against the Oilers as Villalobos got two singles with two runs while Gamboa got a single, a triple and one RBI in the game
 
The Marauders will have late games tomorrow, as they'll take on Merrimack College and Ohio Dominican University starting at 4 p.m., CDT.
 
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