WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. --- The University of St. Francis softball team rallied from two-run deficits twice, but could not comeback a third time as the Fighting Saints saw their season come to an end at the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round with a 5-4 setback to College of Coastal Georgia on Tuesday afternoon.

Eight walks, one hit batsman and three errors eventually did USF in as Coastal Georgia (38-13) scored a pair of unearned runs and had two of its walks score.

A three-double fourth inning got the Saints back into the game the first time after Coastal Georgia took an initial 2-0 lead in the second inning.  Isabella Landeros started it with her leadoff double before back-to-back, run-scoring doubles by Kiersten Manning and Kylie Cook got USF back even at two-all.

Coastal Georgia was quick to respond with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to regain its two-run edge.  St. Francis got those two runs back in the sixth inning when Rose Mwaro (walk) scored on Brittany Osborne's triple and Emily Boyle scored Osborne on a fielder's choice.

That made up for a missed scoring opportunity one inning earlier when the Saints put runners at second and third base with only one out, but could not score.  For the game, USF left ten runners on base, including nine between the third and sixth innings.  Coastal Georgia stranded 11 runners and twice left the bases loaded.

A walk and an error to open the bottom of the sixth inning set up the winning run for Coastal Georgia.

St. Francis finished the season at 30-16.

Notes: USF outhit each of its three opponents by a combined 22-16 count … Landeros earned USF's batting crown with her .409 average … Osborne closed out her career leading the team in runs scored (40), hits (64), doubles (17), total bases (99), slugging percentage (.593), walks (15) and on-base percentage (.432) … Jaelynn Taylor tied Osborne for the walk title, while topping the team with seven home runs … Kaylie Sippel led the way offensively with her 35 runs batted in, while doing the same defensively with her perfect 1.000 fielding percentage … Boyle ranked No. 1 in triples with four … In the pitching circle, Manning claimed all the top categories: wins (18), earned run average (1.96), appearances (37), starts (27), complete games (23), shutouts (7), saves (3), innings pitched (182 1/3) and strikeouts (191).     

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