LAS VEGAS – February 13, 2015 – The Fort Lewis College softball team opened the sixth annual Montana State Billings Desert Stinger Classic with two losses against Notre Dame de Namur (L, 10-5) and Western Washington University (L, 15-7) from Majestic Park in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"We had two more tough games today," said head coach
Kira Zeiter. "This is another good tournament that is showing what we are strong at, and what we need to work on as a team."
In the opening game against Notre Dame de Namur, the Skyhawks jumped to a 5-1 lead after three and a half innings. NDDN responded with seven runs in the bottom of the third and two more in the fourth to post a 10-5 win against the Skyhawks.
Victoria Johnson started the game in the circle for the Skyhawks. She worked the first two innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and one strikeout.
Olivia Goldberg was the pitcher of record after pitching 1.2 innings and surrendering four earned runs on seven hits.
Kiley Raica finished the game with no runs allowed and no hits in 2.1 innings.
Tristen Gilbert went 3-for-4 at the plate with one run batted in.
Missy Fundora and
Jeovanna Rios each added two hits on four at-bats. Fundora drove in four runs and scored one herself after hitting her first homerun of the season.
In game two, Western Washington scored seven runs in the first three innings before the Skyhawks were put on the scoreboard with two runs in the bottom of the third. Fort Lewis answered the Vikings five innings in the top of the fourth with five of their own in bottom of the inning to cut WWU's lead to 12-7. WWU added three more runs in the fifth and held FLC scoreless to run-rule the Skyhawks in five, 15-7.
Raica allowed seven runs on nine hits and fanned two batters in the first 2.2 innings of the game.
Fundora went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Myndee Thompson drove in two batters and scored once on two hits.
Mandy Owens recorded her first homerun of the year after going 1-for-2 at the plate with two runs batted in and a run scored.
Fort Lewis (2-6) will play Eastern New Mexico University Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m., followed by St. Edward's University at 2 p.m.
