Clermont, FL (March 2, 2015) – The DeSales University softball team lost a heartbreaker in game one, 3-2, to Saint Mary's University (MN), and was beaten 8-0 in game two with College of St. Benedict on day two of its spring break trip to Clermont, FL at the National Training Center softball complex.
Game One (L/2-3 (8 Inn.) Saint Mary's (MN))
Both teams struggled to push a run across home plate as Saint Mary's left two runners stranded in both the first and third innings and left the bases loaded in the sixth, while the Bulldogs had a runner thrown out at the plate in the first inning and lead off base runners stranded in the fourth and fifth innings.
Finally in the bottom of the sixth inning the Bulldogs struck first as senior
Carly Bartholomew doubled home sophomore
Alexa Beaumont and sophomore
Hailey Marini with two outs.
After freshman
Andrea Artesani retired the first two batters in the top of the seventh inning, Saint Mary's (MN) strung together three straight hits to tie the game at two.
DSU nearly won the game in the bottom of the seventh inning when freshman
Haley Frati hit a ball off the top of the fence but it bounced back in play for a double. She nearly scored two batters later when junior
Michelle Gessner singled but Frati was thrown out at the plate sending the game into extra innings.
The international tiebreaker rule was used to start the eighth inning and Saint Mary's (MN) scored on a single with two outs and DSU was unable to push across the tying run in the loss.
Gessner, Hockman, and junior
DJ McCauley each had two hits as part of DeSales' nine hit attack. Artesani pitched very well scattering eight hits over eight innings allowing just two earned runs and striking out seven.
Game Two (L/0-8 vs. College of St. Benedict)
The Bulldogs managed just four hits and St. Benedict broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the third inning with five runs and added two more unearned runs in the fourth inning and a solo run in the fifth to end the game.
Gessner had two of DSU's four hits. McCauley suffered the loss allowing five earned runs over 3 2/3 innings, striking out three.
The Bulldogs are off on Tuesday and return to action on Wednesday when they take on Bellevue University and Judson University.
