Adrian, Mich. -- Comfortable 4-2 and 7-3 leads turned out not to be so by games' end for the University of St. Francis softball team, but the Saints were able to hang on 7-4 in the nightcap to gain a non-conference split with Siena Height University (Mich.) on Saturday afternoon at Christensen Memorial Softball Field in Adrian, Mich.  Siena Heights rallied in the seventh inning of the opener to win 5-4.

After being limited to just five hits in the opener, USF (19-18) made the most of its 10 hits in Game 2 with six of the seven driving in runs after two outs before holding off a late rally by Siena Heights (19-23).

Rose Mwaro (3-for-7), Jaelynn Taylor (2-for-6) and Morgan Smardo (2-for-6) all registered hits in each end of the doubleheader with Smardo also driving in a team-high three runs on the day.

Game 1:  Siena Heights 5, USF 4
St. Francis opened the game by scoring right off the bat.  A Mwaro single and two advancements on passed balls set up Emily Hurst's sacrifice fly in the first inning.

After relinquishing its lead by allowing two SHU runs to cross the plate earlier in the game, USF scored three more times in the fourth inning.  Smardo (single, 1 RBI) and Mwaro (double, 2 RBIs) both went back-to-back with two-out base hits to mark the score at 4-2.

Cruising along through the first five innings, where she allowed just two hits, St. Francis starter Kiersten Manning got into trouble to start the sixth inning.  A leadoff home run followed by a walk got the hosts on the scoreboard and ended Manning's day.  Another walk put the go-ahead run on base before the hosts came through with the clutch two-out, two-RBI hit to plate both runs and take the lead at 5-4.

Manning struck out nine hitters in her five innings, while walking three and allowing four runs.  Emily Boyle, who came on in relief, was saddled with the loss, dropping her record to 7-9 on the season.

Game 2: USF 7, Siena Heights 4
Similar to the first game, the Saints got in front early with one run in the first inning, two more in the third, and one in the fifth inning. The biggest runs, however, turned out to come in the seventh inning when Taylor and Smardo combined to drive in three runs, which wound up being the difference in the end.
 
Taylor's hit was one of six after two outs to drive in a run for the Saints.  She also authored a sacrifice fly in the fifth frame to score Hurst who had reached base via a single. Smardo followed one batter later with her two run double.

USF's two runs in the third inning came courtesy of an Isabella Landeros single and a Chylece Cluck base hit.  Landeros' double in the first inning gave the Saints their first run of the game. She went 2-for-3 in Game 2.

After scoring single runs in the first, third and fifth innings, SHU chipped away at the deficit with one more run in its final at bat and had the tying run at the plate with one out before Boyle put out the flames.

Smardo made her fifth start of the season in the circle and pitched the first three innings before yielding to the St. Francis bullpen.  Boyle (8-9) gained the win in relief after coming into the game in the fourth inning.  She registered four strikeouts in four innings pitched, yielding five hits against three walks.

Up Next
St. Francis is off for the next five days before competing in the CCAC Tournament next Thursday through Saturday (May1-3) at the Crown Point Sportsplex.

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