CLERMONT, Fla. – By and large, one-run games were not very kind to the Missouri Baptist University softball team (6-9, 0-0 AMC) during their week-long stay at the PFX Spring Games. On the final day in Clermont, the Spartans dropped both ends of their doubleheader falling to Lourdes, 4-3, and Concordia-Ann Arbor, 2-1.
 
On the week, Missouri Baptist was involved in five one-run games and ended up in the win column in just one of them.
 
The PFX Spring Games marked the final tune-up games before Missouri Baptist jumps into its American Midwest Conference schedule. The Spartans begin AMC play on Tuesday against Harris-Stowe State University, which is scheduled as an away doubleheader, but will be played on MBU's campus at Spartan Softball Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
 
Lourdes University 4, Missouri Baptist University 3
Both teams got on the scoreboard in the first inning with MBU getting its run by way of a dropped fly ball to score Ally Gischer. Lourdes wasn't down for long as the half of their total hits from the game came in the first inning with a single, a ground-rule RBI double and an RBI single. The Gray Wolves led 2-1 through 2.5 innings.
 
In the bottom of the third, Lourdes tacked on another run to extend MBU's deficit to two.
 
Looking to halt the Gray Wolves' momentum, Missouri Baptist stepped up to the plate in the fifth inning and got a pair of free bases in a HBP and walk. With two outs, Reilly Kassay, who entered the day with a batting average under .100, broke out of her slump and singled through the left side to bring home Amber Mobbs. The following at-bat, Ally Gischer reached on a Lourdes error and all of a sudden, the game was knotted at 3-all.
 
Once again though, Lourdes responded quickly and ended up scoring the gamewinning run in the next half inning. LU's Alyssa Ziegler scored off of starting pitcher Marissa Kostick's sacrifice fly.
 
Kassay had a breakout game with two hits from the No. 2 spot in the lineup, while centerfielder Rachel Galbraith also logged two hits going 2-for-3 (.666) against the Gray Wolves.
 
Starting pitcher Ally Dunaway went five innings, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) while striking out two. Freshman Mackenzie Schweizer provided one inning in relief retiring all three batters with one strikeout.
 
Concordia University-Ann Arbor 2, Missouri Baptist University 1
In the bottom of the first, Missouri Baptist reached base on a pair of walks, but got stopped short in their first scoring attempt when Madalyn Bone got tagged out at home on a Miranda Brown fielder's choice. Freshman rightfielder Sydney Berry knocked a line drive out to center to drive in the Spartans' only run of the game.
 
After MBU's lone run in the first, the two teams were locked into a low-scoring, defensive battle. The Spartans' next best chance at getting some run support for pitcher Delissa Dennison was in the bottom of the fourth. Addison Rinderer and Rachel Galbraith delivered back-to-back singles, but ended the inning on a pop out and Rinderer unsuccessfully stealing third.
 
The top of the sixth was the turning point for Concordia without having to do much work on its own accord. With a Cardinal runner on first, Missouri Baptist managed to commit three consecutive errors/wild throws that allowed the baserunner and Kassidy Grandorff to score. The two unearned runs off of freshman Addison Rinderer proved to be all that Concordia needed to hold off the Spartans in the 2-1 game.
 
Offensively, the Spartans got most of its production from a new group of freshmen. Freshmen MaKenzie Harbaugh and Addison Rinderer both had two hits apiece, while Sydney Berry had a hit and the Spartans' lone RBI. Unfortunately, Missouri Baptist scored just one while leaving eight runners on base.
 
In the circle, Delissa Dennison had another outstanding performance. In 5.0 innings, Dennison struck out 5 batters and gave up just one hit. Despite getting pegged with the loss, Rinderer was also impressive in relief action giving up just one hit to go along with three strikeouts.