MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – The Holy Cross softball team dropped two games at The Spring Games tournament Saturday.

The Crusaders dropped their first game of the day, 10-0, to South Dakota State. They then fell to Florida Gulf Coast, 11-3, in the night cap.

Erin Bengston was 2-for-4 on the day to lead Holy Cross hitters. Kaci Neveling was 2-for-6 with a run and a stolen base. Bailey Bates hit her first collegiate home run against FGCU, driving in two.
Sydney Behrens, Jessie Nagel, and Olivia Eckelman all reached base on the day with walks. Molly Neil scored a run when she came on to pinch run.

The Crusaders held South Dakota State scoreless for the first two innings, but the Jackrabbits would get on the board with a single run in the third, before adding three and six in the fourth and fifth innings respectively.

FGCU burst out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning, but then Holy Cross would settle down and keep the Eagles off the board in the second and third. The Crusaders began to mount a comeback in the third inning when Neil scored on the throw to second when Neveling stole. Bates followed it up shortly with a bomb to left to cut FGCU's lead to four. But the Eagles would score two in the fourth and fifth to claim the victory.

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Holy Cross will conclude play at The Spring Games tomorrow, March 8, when the team takes on Quinnipiac at 9 a.m.