TUCSON, Ariz. --- Jordan Closs recorded her second collegiate shutout in a 1-0 victory over University of Jamestown (N. Dak.) for the University of St. Francis softball team, but a late-inning rally by Briar Cliff University (Iowa) kept the Fighting Saints from registering their second doubleheader sweep in as many days with its 5-3 first-game setback on Tuesday afternoon.

USF's first-inning run held up in the latter affair thanks to Closs, who scattered four hits, struck out nine and got some great defense behind her.  The same was not true in the opener, where a two-out error in the bottom of the seventh-inning opened the door for Briar Cliff to score the three unearned winning runs.

Brittany Osborne got things done both offensively and defensively with Kaylie Sippel joining her in supplying a hit in each end of the twinbill.  Emily Boyle accounted for two of USF's three runs batted in on the day.

Game 1: Briar Cliff 5, USF 3
The Saints appeared to be on the verge of extending their winning streak to three games until the two-out error enabled Kylee Lukes to be the hero for Briar Cliff with her walk-off three-run home run.  She also homered two innings earlier to put the Chargers up 2-1.

USF put the first run of the game on the board in the third inning when Boyle delivered a two-out triple to score Sippel (single).  Briar Cliff (6-5) responded with its own two-out run-scoring hit in the fourth inning to tie the contest at one-all before Lukes made it a 2-1 Charger lead in the fifth inning.

USF's sixth-inning rally was sparked by a Briar Cliff error and passed ball, the latter scoring the go-ahead run.  Rose Mwaro's groundout just moments earlier drove in the tying run.

In the seventh inning, Osborne's defensive gem to gun down a Briar Cliff runner trying to score the tying run from third base was thought to be the game-saving play.

Boyle and Jaelynn Taylor each had a pair of hits for St. Francis.

Game 2: USF 1, Jamestown 0
The Saints and Closs stopped Jamestown's 11-game winning streak by shutting out the Jimmies for the first time this season.  Closs came up big with nine strikeouts, especially late.  Two of her K's thwarted Jamestown rallies in the fifth and seventh innings when the Jimmies had the tying run at third base.

After yielding a single in the first inning, Closs (2-1) did not give up another hit until the fifth inning.  In that frame, Jamestown (11-3) had runners at second and third base with only one out only to have Closs get a strikeout and a popout to end that inning.

A one-out double put the potential tying run in scoring position again in the seventh inning with Closs coming up clutch for the second time in three innings with a groundout to move the runner to third base and then coming back from a 3-1 count to record the game-ending strikeout.

The Saints, who were held to just three hits themselves, got two of them in the first inning to set up Boyle's sacrifice fly.  It wound up turning into a double play, but Osborne (single) was quick enough to cross the plate before the last out of the inning was recorded.

Sippel provided the other first-inning hit to push Osborne to third base.  Mwaro had USF's only other hit in the fifth inning.

Notes: Boyle has driven in at least one run in four straight games and seven of the last eight … Sippel extended her hitting streak to eight games, but had her string of scoring a run in seven games in a row snapped in the nightcap … Osborne joined Sippel with hits in eight straight games.  She has also done so in 11 of 12 contests, while reaching base in all 12 affairs … Besides Osborne's big defensive play in the first game, she also put together an inning-ending double play in the sixth inning of the nightcap … Kiersten Manning had her streak of 24 straight scoreless innings in a starting assignment halted in the fourth inning of Game 1 … USF's three hits in the nightcap tied for the lowest output this season … The Saints have Wednesday off before returning to action on Thursday against Madonna University (Mich.) (10 am) and Concordia University (Neb.) (12 pm).  

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