CLERMONT, Fla. - Fresh off a strong offensive performance from the previous day, the University of Mary Softball team was beset by untimely defensive errors and a stagnant offense on the second day of their trip to the Dot Richardson Spring Games.
 
A seventh inning rally fell just short in the first game for the Marauders (2-7) against Lourdes University (3-2) in an 8-5 loss, while the defense struggled and the offense stalled in the second game against Grace College (3-7) in a 10-2 loss, setting U-Mary back by two games for the day.
 
GAME ONE U-MARY vs LOURDES UNIVERSITY
 
Both teams were evenly matched in U-Mary's first contest of the day as they took on NAIA opponent Lourdes University, as the first inning featured the Gray Wolves recording the first run off an RBI double from Megan Mosiniak that drove in Olivia Stanton for a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning.
 
The Marauders' offense couldn't get into gear through the first five  innings as they managed only two hits in the span, but weren't far behind the Gray Wolves as the defense made up for any runners reaching base with key groundball stops as Taylor Lara and Brieann Backes kept hitters off-balanced with good pitch movement and timely off-speed deliveries.
 
Lourdes padded their lead, however, in the top of the fifth as Stanton drove in Taylor Genzman on a shot to the right center gap, while Hillary West brought Stanton across with single back up the middle to put the score at 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Gray Wolves added another in the top of the sixth as Marissa Kostick grounded into a bases-loaded double play to Taylor Mendez at second base who threw out Kayla Encalado and doubled up on Kostick at first, yet the following runner snuck under the tag attempt as Shawnee Zink fired a throw back into the plate in an attempt to retire Jaime Newman. Instead, U-Mary ended up with a 4-0 deficit and two outs in the inning as opposed to the first triple play of the year.
 
Lourdes added one more in the inning, unfortunately, as Stanton drove home Bre Megyesi in the ensuing at bat to put the Marauders in a 5-0 hole heading into the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Marauders finally broke through Brooke Gallaher's presence in the circle during their at bat in the bottom half of the sixth as Demaree Rodriguez drove home Alexandra McDermott on a single to left field, and Kylie Alto added one more on her single back up the middle that moved Mendez across the plate to cut the lead down to 5-2 going into the top of the final inning.
 
Alas, the defense started to show cracks in the top half of the seventh as Megyesi laced a bases-clearing double to right center that drove in three other Gray Wolves to extend the lead out to 8-2, setting the stage for a U-Mary rally in the bottom part of the inning.
 
The rally almost didn't make it off the ground as Gallaher went for the complete game effort and forced two groundouts from the first two Marauders in the inning that put U-Mary on the brink.
 
The game appeared to be over as Alana Norman grounded a pitch into the infield, but the first basemen mishandled the throw that gave new life to the Marauders offense and it was an opportunity they wouldn't pass up. Demaree drew the walk and Mendez lined a double to the left center gap that scored Norman from second base, and Amber Gamboa drove two more runs in with a single through the left side that hit the glove of the third baseman and ricocheted away and allowed Mendez to score.
 
Zink was hit by a pitch in the following at bat to keep the inning alive, but the rally came to a screeching halt as Alto flew out to right field that ended the inning and finalized the score at 8-5.
 
Alto ended up leading U-Mary with two hits in the contest, one double, to go with one RBI, while Taylor Mendez recorded the only other extra-base hit with a double of her own to go with one RBI and two runs scored.
 
Taylor Lara finished with two innings pitched and only gave up one run, while Brieann Backes finished with five innings pitched, one strikeout and seven runs in relief.
 
GAME TWO U-MARY vs GRACE COLLEGE
 
The Marauders appeared to have their offense in gear early in the second game against Grace College, as Norman led the contest off with a triple over the left fielder's head and was brought in on a double from Demaree in the following at bat for a quick 1-0 lead against the Lancers.
 
Demaree ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly from Zink to put the score at 2-0, and U-Mary was threatening to open up the lead even further after Colleen Crutchfield drew a walk to load the bases. Yet starting pitcher Chandler Elliott found her rhythm and struck out the final batter of the inning to put a stop to the early rally.
 
MeLanie Rodriguez baffled the Lancers early as she force three groundouts in the bottom of the first, and the offense continued to impress as Demaree and Mendez singled in back-to-back at bats with two outs while Gamboa drew a walk to load the bases.
 
Alas, Elliott worked out of the jam once again as she forced a popout from Zink in the following at bat to quell any thoughts U-Mary had of opening up the lead further in the game.
 
Unfortunately, the defensive miscues started to appear in the bottom of the second as Brittany Turner drew an errant throw from Alto to advanced to second and eventually stole home later in the inning, as Morgan Hutcheson brought the first run home on a squeeze bunt while Sam Heim reached on an fielding error by Mendez that allowed two more Lancers to reach home and put the score at 4-2 heading into the top of the third.
 
U-Mary's bats went quiet starting in the third as they only managed three hits through the remainder of the game, while the Lancers added another run in the bottom half of the third with an RBI groundout from Paige Hlutke that extended the lead to 3-0 heading into the fourth.
 
Defensive blunders made their way into the game once again for the Marauders in the bottom of the fourth as Hannah Herbster reached on another errant throw and ended up scoring on a Clarissa Knight single back up the middle, and Grace College eventually loaded the bases as Ashley Kleinbub reached on a fielder's choice that saw Elliott advance to second on a throw that was mishandled at the bag.
 
The Lancers punished those mistakes as Turner brought in Knight on an RBI groundout, and Hutcheson ended up reaching on yet another errant throw that allowed Eliott to score and ballooned the lead out to 8-2 for Grace College.
 
Backes finally put a stop to the bleeding as she took matters into her own hands with a swinging strikeout from the final batter, but her efforts were in vain as Grace College ended the game in an unusual sequence of events in what would be the final inning.
 
Elliot led off the inning with a single to the right center gap, Kleinbub was hit by a pitch, and pinch hitter Michaela Lee drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Hutcheson grounded into a fielder's choice as Demaree threw out Elliott at the plate, but another pinch hitter, Mariah Roman initiated the odd series of throws that would end the game.
 
Roman sent the first pitch she saw to right field and the sacrifice fly ended up scoring Kleinbub and moving Lee to third, but the throw back into the infield was cutoff by Demaree and she attempted to double up on Hutcheson who was advancing to second on the throw back in.
 
Eyeballing the throwing motion, Lee broke for home after Demaree was committed to the throw to second base, and any hopes of stopping Lee from scoring were quickly dashed as the ball rolled away from Mendez covering second, prematurely ended the game as the Marauders took the receiving end of the eight-run rule, cementing the score at 10-2.
 
Alana Norman, Demaree Rodriguez, and Kylie Alto each recorded two hits in the game, as Norman finished with one triple, one run, and one sacrifice bunt, Demaree ended with one double, two runs and one RBI, and Alto notched a pair of singles in the contest.
 
MeLanie Rodriguez finished with 3.1 innings pitched but only allowed two earned runs, while Brieann Backes pitched 2.1 innings in relief to go with one strikeout and three hits given up.
 
The Marauders' third day of the Dot Richardson Spring Games will feature a rematch against the University of Findlay starting at 10 AM CDT, and a game against Quincy University at 2 PM CDT.
 
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