GOSHEN, Ind. --- The University of St. Francis softball team opened its 2024 season with a bang literally as the Fighting Saints scored a 9-0 first-game victory before dropping the second game of the doubleheader by an 8-4 count.  Five-run innings were the key for both clubs in their respective wins.

Brittany Osborne, who opened Game 1 with a home run, collected three hits, scored a pair of runs and drove in two on the afternoon.  Isabella Landeros and Kaylie Sippel also had big days offensively, authoring multiple hits in each end of the twinbill.  Sippel went 5-for-7 on the day, while Landeros was 4-for-7.  Both players also had an RBI and a run scored.

Also posting at least one hit in both games were Jaelynn Taylor (3 hits) and Rose Mwaro (2 hits).

Kiersten Manning made a strong first impression, as well, recording a one-hit shutout in her USF debut in the circle.

Game 1: USF 9, Goshen 0   
After hitting the home run to begin the first game, Osborne (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI) also started a five-run, second-inning uprising with her RBI single.  Mwaro and Gracyn Gabriel also drove in runs with doubles with Mwaro's hit bringing in a pair of Saints.  Sippel, who went a perfect 3-for-3, added an RBI single in the frame.

USF put up three more insurance runs in the fifth inning to invoke the eight-run rule with Taylor and Zoe Ditter recording the RBI singles.

All nine starters collected at least one hit as part of St. Francis' 13-hit attack, including Landeros (2 hits).

Manning (1-0) was unhittable in more ways than one through the first 3 1/3 innings.  She struck out the first ten batters she faced before having her no-hit bid broken up one batter later.  For the game, she struck out 12 batters against just two walks and the one hit, while only facing two batters over the minimum.

Game 2: Goshen 8, USF 4
A first-inning grand slam by Ella Mcleod in a five-run first inning set up Goshen (2-2) for the split decision on the afternoon.  The Maple Leafs would tack on single runs in the second, third and fourth innings to wrap up its scoring on the day.

The Saints held an initial 1-0 lead when Gabriel drove in Osborne (walk) on a sacrifice fly in the first inning.  Landeros provided an RBI double in the fourth inning with USF's other two runs coming in the sixth inning on an Abby Sippel sacrifice fly and a Mwaro single.

Kaylie Sippel, Taylor and Landeros all had a pair of hits in Game 2.

Notes: Manning's 12 strikeouts were the most by a St. Francis pitcher since April 17, 2018 when Morghan Dieringer struck out 13 batters in an 1-0, 11-inning victory over Olivet Nazarene … USF outhit Goshen 22-8 on the day … Besides Manning, other Saints making their debuts on Wednesday included Kylie Cook, Emily Boyle, Katherine Winkel, Abby Sippel and Danika Apostolovich … USF is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 24 when it travels south to face Brescia University (Ky.) in a doubleheader beginning at 1 pm.

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