TUCSON, Ariz. -- The first two innings proved to be both a blessing and a curse for the University of St. Francis softball team on Tuesday afternoon as the two frames helped notch a 7-1 hit parade over Bellevue University (Neb.) before turning victory into defeat in a 7-2 setback to University of Jamestown (N.D.). The Saints (3-7) tallied five runs in the first two innings of the opener before yielding the same amount of runs in that same short time span in the nightcap.
Three Fighting Saint players were key parts of the 10-hit, first-game attack with two individuals producing multi-RBI games. Leading the way was
Isabella Landeros with three hits, while
Chylece Cluck and
Morgan Smardo each tallied two hits. Landeros, along with
Emily Boyle, also knocked in two runs.
Landeros, Smardo and Boyle registered hits in each end of the doubleheader with the latter also scoring two runs in both games on the day.
Game 1: USF 7, Bellevue 1
After St. Francis jumped out to a 5-0 lead after its first two at-bats, Bellevue (8-7) responded with a run-producing single in the bottom of the second inning. USF would add insurance runs in the third and fourth innings with the former coming on a Boyle home run and the latter when
Emily Hurst plated Smardo with a RBI double to center field.
Cluck and Smardo scored twice in the contest, while Landeros and Smardo each authored RBI triples to help the Saints take the 7-1 victory.
Boyle (1-3) picked up her her first win of the season, allowing eight hits against one walk in seven complete innings of work.
Game 2: Jamestown 7, USF 2
Jamestown (10-8) started the game with four hits in the first inning to open up a 2-0 lead and extended that to 5-0 after a USF error and two sacrifice flies plated three more Jimmies in the second frame. UJ would add one more run to its total in the fourth inning before St. Francis put its first marker on the board in the fifth with a RBI single to center field off the bat of Boyle.
The two teams finished the game by exchanging runs in the seventh inning with USF's tally coming on
Kiersten Manning's towering double that hit off the center field fence to score Boyle.
Along with Manning and Boyle, also providing hits in the game for St. Francis were Smardo, Landeros,
Rose Mwaro and
Kylie Cook.
Manning (2-3) struck out four batters, while walking four in seven innings pitched in the circle for the Saints.
Up Next
The Saints have two big tests when they take the field again on Thursday (March 6) in rematches with University of Jamestown (N.D.) at 10 am CST and NAIA No. 10-ranked Madonna University (Mich.) at noon.
You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.
