PORTLAND, Ore. – The University of Providence softball team fell to Warner Pacific 10-9 in extra innings on Friday in the first game of a four-game series in Portland, Ore.
The second game of the double-header was suspended in the top of the sixth inning due to weather. The game, which the Argos were leading 9-7 before the suspension, will resume at 11:30 a.m. MTN Saturday.
The Argos wasted no time getting on the board in the first game, with
Macy Mangold doubling to left field to bring home
Taylor Mathews in the team's second at bat of the day.
McKenzie Staats brought Mangold home two batters later off a single to right field to give the Argos a 2-0 lead.
The squad conceded three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but continued their hitting streak in the top of the second. Mathews,
Karlie David, Staats and
Sirena Rosalez all brought runners home to give the Argos a 6-3 lead after two.
The Argos let one run score in the bottom of the fourth, but scored three more runs in the top of the fifth to take a 9-4 lead. However the Knights responded with a total of five runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Neither team could cross home plate until the bottom of the eighth inning when Alexis Morrow singled with the bases loaded to bring home the game-winning run.
The Argos recorded 15 hits in the loss. Staats led the team with three, while
Sam Hernandez, David, Mangold, Mathews and Rosalez all recorded two. David, Mathews and Staats all finished with two RBIs, while Mathews recorded three runs on the day.
Carter Thornton got the start on the mound, recording six strikeouts and allowing five earned runs.
"We got off to a hot start," head coach
Joey Egan said. "We generated 15 hits so we hit the ball extremely well today. We just couldn't generate them later in the game."
The Argos responded well in the second game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Down 7-5 entering the sixth inning, the Argos scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning before play was suspended.
"We responded nicely," Egan said. "We're going to have to come in mentally prepared to finish the job tomorrow."
The team will return to the field tomorrow to finish the remainder of the weekend series. The two teams will resume action from Friday's second game at 11:30 a.m. MTN before playing Saturday's doubleheader as scheduled.
