TUCSON, Ariz. -- University of Jamestown (N.D.) and NAIA No. 10-ranked Madonna University (Mich.) dealt the University of St. Francis softball team a pair of setbacks on the fourth day of the Tucson Invitational Games with the Jimmies' 7-4 and Crusaders' 10-2 victories, respectively, on Thursday afternoon. The Saints had come into the split doubleheader sporting a 1-5 record during the invitational, with the two losses dropping their overall season mark to 3-9.
Even though they produced six runs on 16 hits between the two contests, the Saints were unable to use their offense to secure a win in either game as defensive mistakes and free passes enabled the two foes to walk away as the victors. Jamestown (14-5) was the benefactor of four USF miscues, while Madonna (14-5) took advantage of four walks, five errors and 12 total hits to plate the majority of their respective runs on the day.
Emily Hurst (4-for-7) was the only Saint to register multiple hits in each end of the split twinbill.
Game 1: Jamestown 7, USF 4
Jaelynn Taylor got things going for St. Francis with her two-run single to right field in the top of the second inning before the Saints added another run in the third frame. A trio of unearned runs by Jamestown in the fifth inning, however, offset USF's surplus. With runners on first and second, back-to-back errors would plate two Jimmies before a two-out double steal resulted in the tying run crossing the plate.
Jamestown would then break the game open in the sixth inning when a lead-off home run followed by four straight two-out singles resulted in UJ expanding its lead to 7-3. The Saints were only able to counter with one run in the seventh inning to finalize the score at 7-4.
Hurst (two hits),
Rose Mwaro (three),
Emily Boyle (two) and
Isabella Landeros (two) all authored multiple hits in the contest with Taylor (two RBIs) and
Kiersten Manning (two) accounting for the four runs driven in.
Manning (2-4) took the loss in the circle for the Saints, giving up just one earned run, while allowing four hits against two walks across 5 1/3 innings pitched. USF's four errors in the game resulted in four unearned runs.
Game 2: Madonna 10, USF 2
Facing each other for the third time already this season, the Saints could not answer Madonna's late-game offensive explosion during the fifth, sixth and seventh innings as the Crusaders cruised to the 10-2 victory. Madonna scored a pair of runs in the third inning before eight players crossed the plate over the last three frames.
USF's only runs came in the fifth and sixth innings. The first score came on a groundout by
Chylece Cluck that plated
Katherine Winkel after Winkel stole third base for the first theft of her career. Taylor accounted for the other run on a sacrifice fly to score Hurst, who doubled to lead off the inning.
Cluck and Hurst each had two hits in the contest with the latter connecting for a pair of doubles.
Up Next
The Saints will take the field again Friday (March 7) against NAIA No. 4-ranked Northwestern University (Iowa) and Dickinson State (N.D.), who is receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll. Game times are slated for noon and 2:30 pm CST.
You can keep up with all things USF on X @USFSaints.
