Contact: Tim Ertle

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Game One Box / Game Two Box
 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ­– The Ursuline College softball team went on the road and dropped two games to Trevecca Nazarene University on Thursday (March 28).

The Arrows dipped to 6-8 overall and 0-4 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference while the Trojans won their fourth straight and improved to 10-5 and 4-0 in the conference.

Game One: Trevecca Nazarene 9, Ursuline 1 (Six Innings)
The host Trojans took an early 1-0 lead and never looked back on their way to a 9-1 victory on Thursday afternoon.

TNU second baseman Aubrey Jordan singled with one out in the bottom of the first and used her speed to get to third. She later scored the first run of the game on a single by center fielder Breanna Zeis, the reigning G-MAC Player of the Week.

Shortstop Lindsey Stephens worked a walk from UC senior pitcher Ciara Seymour to start the two-run third inning and she later scored on the second home run of the season by first baseman Lacey Grimes.

Zeis blasted her third homer of the season in the fifth to extend the lead to four before Ursuline got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Sophomore center fielder Sam Roberts worked a one out walk from Kelsey Kemp and later scored when freshman shortstop Rachel Wells singled.

Trevecca Nazarene put the game out of reach with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Zeis delivered an RBI single to drive in her third run of the game but the big blow came when Shelby Andrews cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center.

Seymour took the loss to fall to 2-4 on the young year. Entering Thursday’s game, she had surrendered just two earned runs in her three losses. The Trojans got to her with eight earned runs on 11 hits and four walks in her 5 2/3 innings of work.

Natalie Papini worked the first three innings in the circle for TNU and allowed just one walk. That baserunner was later caught stealing so she faced the minimum of nine batters.

Kemp earned the win in relief to improve to 2-2. She allowed the one run on two hits and two walks but did strikeout four Arrows.

Game Two: Trevecca Nazarene 6, Ursuline 5 (Eight Innings)
The Arrows took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when they took advantage of a Trojan miscue. With one out, TNU pitcher Lindsey Stephens walked senior second baseman Lauren Grana and sophomore right fielder Nicole Schierbaum. Sophomore center fielder Sam Roberts put the ball in play with two outs and a good thing happened: an error by the center fielder allowed both Grana and Schierbaum to score unearned runs.

TNU answered with five runs over the next three innings to take a 5-2 lead. The Trojans got to UC junior pitcher Sarah Maxwell for one run in the bottom of the third and tacked on a pair in both the fourth and fifth.

The resilient Arrows wouldn’t go away easily.

Roberts started the sixth inning with a walk and she advanced to second on a single by freshman shortstop Rachel Wells. Both baserunners moved up a station on a groundout and eventually scored on a two-out double to left center by senior catcher Megan Passwaiter that made it a 5-4 game.

Wells extended the game when she belted her third home run of the season in the top of the seventh, knotting the game at five.

The Trojans had a great chance to win the game in the bottom part of the inning after first baseman Lauren Grimes walked and moved to second on an illegal pitch. She advanced to third on the first out of the inning.

Shortstop Kelsey Kemp flied out to Roberts in center and Grimes tagged up but was cut down at home plate to push the game to the eighth inning.

Unfortunately for the Arrows, TNU ended the game in the eighth when right fielder Shelby Andrews scored on a failed pickoff attempt. For the second time in as many doubleheaders, Ursuline lost a game in the bottom of the eighth.

Andrews started the inning with a walk and advanced to second on an infield error. A sacrifice bunt moved her to third and the botched attempt allowed her to come on down the line to end the game.

Stephens picked up the win to improve to 4-1 while Maxwell took the loss and slipped to 3-4 as both pitchers went the distance. Stephens scattered five hits and walked three Arrows in her eight innings while allowing just three earned runs.

Maxwell pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed all six runs, only five of which were earned. She allowed nine hits and allowed four walks but did record three strikeouts.
 
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After 14 games on the road, the Arrows are scheduled to finally play in front of the home fans next Thursday (April 4) when Gannon University visits for a doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

As always, we encourage you to check UrsulineArrows.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see if anything changes as a result of the weather.