TUCSON, Ariz. --- After being held to three hits in a 3-1 first-game loss to University of Jamestown (ND), the University of St. Francis softball team broke out offensively in an 8-5 second-game win over College of Saint Mary (Neb.) to open the Tucson Invitational Games on Sunday.
Nine Fighting Saint players in all were part of the 17-hit second-game attack with five of those individuals producing multi-hit games. Leading the way were
Danielle Callahan,
Kaylie Sippel and
Madisen Tucker with three hits apiece. Callahan also drove in three runs.
Bridget McDermott,
Maddie Massaro and
Kenna Kleinert registered hits in each end of the doubleheader with the latter also driving in three runs on the day.
Game 1: Jamestown 3, USF 1
The two teams were tied in a scoreless deadlock through the first four innings before Ally Battistoni connected on a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning for the Jimmies. Jamestown (5-6) would go on to add another insurance run one inning later.
The Saints, meanwhile, managed just one hit over the first five innings. A one-out error in the seventh inning gave USF life as the next two St. Francis batters also reached base to get the tying run on, including Kleinert with her run-producing single.
Summer Hasley (2-3), however, finished off the threat with her fifth strikeout of the contest. She allowed just the three hits and one walk in the complete-game effort with the one run charged against her being unearned.
Game 2: USF 8, Saint Mary 5
After spotting Saint Mary a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first inning, the Saints responded with run-scoring doubles from Callahan, Sippel and Kleinert. Callahan drove in two that inning followed by another run in the second after Saint Mary tied the contest at four-all.
The Flames (2-11) still would not go away. They forced the third tie of the contest in the fourth inning before
Gracyn Gabriel put the Saints up for good with her solo home run to open the bottom of the fourth inning.
USF (5-1) would add insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings with the latter coming on a Kleinert sacrifice fly.
Brittany Osborne and Gabriel both recorded two-hit games and scored twice. Tucker's three hits came off the bench after she came on to pitch in the third inning and earned her second win of the season without a loss.
Hannah Vachon worked two clean innings to record her first save of the season.
Notes: Osborne's two-hit game in the nightcap was her team-leading fourth multi-hit contest … Gabriel and McDermott both extended their season-long hitting streaks to six games on Sunday … USF's 17 hits and five doubles in Game 2 were both season highs … The Saints have two big tests on Monday, facing unbeaten Northwestern College (Iowa) at 10 am and NAIA No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan University at noon.
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