TUCSON, Ariz. --- The University of St. Francis softball team opened its 12-game, seven-day trip to Arizona with a split decision on Sunday afternoon.  The Fighting Saints (4-4) opened the day with a 14-0 defeat of Valley City State University (N. Dak.) before dropping a 3-2 decision to Dickinson State University (N. Dak.).

Brittany Osborne and Emily Boyle were the big hitters on the afternoon with Boyle going 5-for-6 with two runs batted in and Osborne driving home three runs on four hits and scoring three times.  Also collecting at least one hit in each game were Isabella Landeros (3-for-6, 1 run, 1 RBI) and Kaylie Sippel (2 hits, 3 runs, 2 RBIs).

Game 1: USF 14, Valley City State 0
A big 13-run third inning was more than enough support for starting pitcher Kiersten Manning to improve to 3-1 on the season.  At one point in the inning, the Fighting Saints had ten consecutive batters reach base capped by Osborne's bases-loaded triple.  She was one of two USF players to net a pair of hits in the same inning.

Boyle was the other Saint to do it with a pair of RBI singles.  She finished the contest going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored.

Landeros also had a pair of hits, including a ground-rule double, and drove in one run.

Manning had a no-hitter going through 4 1/3 innings before finishing with a six-strikeout, one-walk, one-hit shutout.  It was her second shutout of the season and the fifth time Valley City State (6-9) nas been blanked this spring.

Game 2: Dickinson State 3, USF 2
The Saints built a 2-0 lead after three innings, but Dickinson State (5-9) rallied to score the final three runs of the game with a two-run fifth inning and a walk-off single in the seventh inning.

USF's two runs came in the third inning on RBIs from Sippel (single) and Gracyn Gabriel (groundout).  The Saints did put a runner on third base in both the first and fourth innings, but Dickinson State was able to thwart each of those rallies.

The Blue Hawks put together a two-out rally in the fifth inning with four straight batters reaching base to knot the score at two-all.  A walk to open the seventh inning followed by back-to-back sacrifices set up HaiLeigh Davis to complete her 3-for-4 day with her second RBI single.     

Osborne and Boyle had their second multi-hit games of the day with each player totaling two hits.

Notes: Boyle extended her club-high hitting streak to seven games … Osborne and Landeros have hit safely in seven of the first eight games this season … Osborne has also reached base safely in all eight contests to begin the campaign and boasts a team-high five multi-hit games … Manning totaled 13 strikeouts over the two games on Sunday … Alana Gray and Toby Perez both made their St. Francis debuts on Sunday in Game 1 … The Saints take on Waldorf University (Iowa) and Northwestern College (Iowa) on Monday in back-to-back games beginning at 10 am.

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