HOWELL, Mich. -- The University of St. Francis softball team opened its four-game, two-day trip to the state of Michigan with a non-conference doubleheader split decision on Friday afternoon.  The Fighting Saints (18-17) opened the day with a 7-3 defeat of Cleary University (Mich.) before dropping an 8-5 decision to the Cougars in the nightcap.

Three Fighting Saint players were key parts of the 26-hit day, with four individuals producing multi-RBI games.  Leading the way was Kylie Cook and Emily Hurst with three hits and two RBIs apiece, while Rose Mwaro and Jaelynn Taylor each went 4-for-8 at the plate.  Chylece Cluck, along with Morgan Smardo, also knocked in two runs.

Game 1:  USF 7, Cleary 3
The Saints spread their offense out in the Game 1 victory with every starter collecting at least one hit.  Cluck and Smardo both drove in two runs with five Saints registering two hits apiece in the game.  All told, St. Francis produced 14 hits in the contest with six separate players scoring at least one run.

Kiersten Manning (11-7) had a shutout going into the seventh inning before four hits in the final frame led to three earned runs.  The senior hurler worked the full seven innings in the circle, striking out 11 batters against eight hits and one walk.

Game 2:  Cleary 8, USF 5
A shaky defensive first inning for USF set up Cleary for the split decision on the afternoon.  After a two-run first inning, the Cougars would tack on a quartet of runs in the third stanza before adding two more in the sixth to wrap up their scoring on the day.

After Cleary took its initial 2-0 lead, the Saints would cut their deficit in half when Hurst drove in Cook (single) with a base hit up the middle in the third inning.  Cook later provided a two-run single in the fourth frame, with USF's other two runs coming in the sixth inning on a wild pitch and another Hurst RBI single.

Mwaro (3-for-4), Cook (2-for-3), Hurst (2-for-4) and Taylor (2-for-4) all posted multi-hit performances in Game 2.

Up Next
The Saints will take the field again on Saturday (April 26) to wrap up their Michigan trip when they face Siena Heights University (Mich.).  Game time is set to begin at 12 pm at Christensen Memorial Softball Field in Adrian, Mich.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.