Pride drop pair to open Florida trip

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - In their first of three-striaght days of doubleheaders, the Clarke University softball team dropped both of their games on Friday in a 9-1 loss against Mount Vernon Nazarene University and an 11-8 defeat to Cleary University.

The Pride fought in a back-and-forth tilt against Cleary in the second game of the day as they trailed 3-0 after two innings but rallied for four in the fourth to take a lead before giving up four in the fifth then scoring the next four over the fifth and six innings as the Cougars finished off the back-and-forth with four in the top of the seventh to end it with their 11-8 lead.

The Pride got a home run from Zoie Sellers in her first at bat of the season that would give Clarke their 8-7 lead in the bottom of the sixth against Cleary after pinch running and scoring a run on Daija Bates' three-RBI double in the fifth that tied the game at 7-7.

Unfortunately for Clarke, Cleary would answer with a pair of two-run home runs in the top of the seventh to regain the lead and close it out in the bottom half.

Bates and Elivabeth Leverton both had two hits in the game against Cleary as Malarie Huseman had two hits on the day with the team's lone hit and RBI in the 9-1 loss against Mount Vernon Nazarene.

Clarke softball will get back at it tomorrow with a pair of games scheduled for first pitch early in the day as they face off against Michigan-Dearborn at 10:00 a.m. ET/9:00 a.m. CT before turning around to face Warner at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT in Kissimmee, Fla.