TUCSON, Ariz. - The Dickinson softball team continued their spring break in Arizona with a pair of hard-fought setbacks against California Lutheran University by scores of 11-9 and 8-7 at the Lincoln Park North Complex. 

Game One - Cal Lutheran 11, DEVILS 9

W - Madison Gunn (1-4) | L - Natalie Krzywiec (0-1)

Inside the Game

The Red Devils struck in the first inning as with two outs Hannah Seburn and Paige Hahn went back-to-back to make it 2-0 against Gunn. She would settle down to get Brooke Espenshade to retire the side. 

CLU got a run right back in the second as Regan Laubscher singled to right and stole second, before being driven home by Mia Antonino to trim it to 2-1. The Regals then took their first lead of the game during the following frame as Makayla Lopez and Ariana Mendoza plated two with a pair of hits. However, DC responded right away as two CLU errors allowed two runners to reach before a wild pitch by Gunn saw Laila Gwathmey sprint home from third to tie the score at 3-3 after three. 

To start the fourth Beth Belanger took over in the circle and unfortunately, things did not go well for her as the Regals sent 11 batters to the dish recording six hits and driving in six runs to open up a 9-3 advantage. CLU added another one in the fifth off of Riley Kuehn as a fielder's choice by Mia Onesto led to an RBI single for Lopez two hitters later for a 10-3 lead going to the home-half of the fifth.

Back-to-back doubles by Gwathmey and Devon Kueny pulled one back, prior to an RBI groundout from Celia Vinacco after Kueny moved up on a passed ball. Gunn pitched around any further damage by retiring the next two hitters she face to lead the score at 10-5.

A sacrifice fly from Natalie Luna in the sixth made it 11-5 and made the mountain tough to climb for DC in the seventh. The Red and White gave it a good go as hits by Kueny, Seburn, Hahn, and Espenshade pulled to within 11-6 with two away. Jen Klepfer and Emma Glosson produced consecutive run-scoring hits to cut the deficit to 11-9. However, Zoe Kleeblatt would ground out back to Gunn to end the game.

Game Two - Cal Lutheran 8, DEVILS 7

W - Taryn Faull (1-7) | L - Riley Kuehn (1-1)

Inside the Game

For the second game in a row, Dickinson struck first Kueny worked a leadoff walk against Mia Garcia. She would then come home two batters later when Seburn reached on an error to plate the runner. DC continued the rally with an RBI single for Kleeblatt, followed by a two-run jack by Hahn to push the lead to 4-0 after just half an inning.

Kuehn ran into difficulties in the second as both Booth and Laubscher reached to begin the frame. After a pop-up by Luna, Emily Blank drove in one with a sac fly to left. Gunn, Onesto, and Lopez all followed with RBI hits to give the Regals a 5-4 lead after two.

Dickinson tied the score during their next at-bat with Kleeblatt and Hahn both reaching with one away to bring up Hannah Brenner. She stepped up and ripped a single to left to drive in Kleeblatt to make it 5-5. DC looked to add on, but Espenshade struck out and Glosson popped up to retire the side. CLU reclaimed the lead in the bottom-half with two hits as Blank doubled and Gunn smacked a single giving the Regals a 6-5 edge through three.

CLU added solo homers in the fourth and sixth thanks to Lopez and Mendoza for the 8-5 advantage heading to the top of the seventh.

With the Devils down to their last out and with two runners in scoring position, Espenshade plated both with a single to cut the margin to 8-7. Klepfer stepped in to try and keep the game alive, but she struck out swinging to end the game.

On Deck

Dickinson (1-3) returns to action tomorrow when they try to get revenge on Valley City State University at 3:15 p.m.