MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. –The Holy Cross softball team put an end to their five game losing skid with a 3-2 game one victory against Merrimack in their opening contest of The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Fla. Friday. The Crusaders were defeated, 9-1 in five innings in the second game against Western Michigan.

The split sends Holy Cross to 3-10 in non-conference action while the Warriors move to 3-2 and Broncos advance to 7-11.
 
GAME ONE: CRUSADERS 3, WARRIORS 2 (FINAL):

IN THE CIRCLE:

• Senior Kelly Nelson W (2-6), 7.0 innings, four strikeouts, two earned runs, complete game.
• Madie Fornwalt: L (1-1), 6.0 innings, five strikeouts, four walks, three earned runs.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Senior Jessie Nagel: 3-for-3, double, run scored.
• Junior Bailey Bates: 1-for-2, RBI, run scored, walk.
• Freshman Callie Thibault: 1-for-1, RBI.
• Ellen Hubbard: 2-for-4, run scored.
• Fornwalt: 1-for-3, RBI, stolen base.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• In the bottom of the second, Nagel singled to second and moved up on a passed ball. With one away, junior Olivia Eckelman worked a walk, and immediately after, Bates smacked an RBI single to center marking it a 2-0 game.
• Merrimack leveled the margin in the top of the sixth as Fornwalt singled scoring a run. The game-tying run came via an error to tie the score 2-2 in the late stages.
• Holy Cross regained the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Nagel led off the inning with her third hit of the contest and sophomore Claire McCann followed with a single to left putting runners at first and second. Bates walked to load the bases with one down. Thibault pinch hit and legged out an infield single regaining the lead late 3-2.
• In the top of the seventh, Nelson put two runners on with no outs, but settled down for the complete game win.

 
GAME TWO: BRONCOS 9, CRUSADERS 1 (FINAL -  5 INNINGS):

IN THE CIRCLE:

• Reily Galloway: W (4-5), 5.0 innings, complete game, eight strikeouts, two hits allowed.
• Sophomore Megan Yurchick: L (1-4), 2.2 innings, four earned runs, seven hits, allowed two walks.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Galloway 2-for-3, home run, four RBI, two runs scored.
• Taylor Garey: 2-for-3, RBI, run scored.
• Cassidy Brendtke: 1-for-1, double, three runs scored.
• Senior Jessie Nagel: 1-for-2, home run, RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Western Michigan took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first scoring three runs on an error and fielder's choice.
• In the home half of the second, Galloway singled and plated Brendtke upping the margin to 4-0.
• Galloway belted a three-run shot in the third frame expanding the lead to 9-0.
• Holy Cross got on the board in the top of the fourth via a Nagel solo tater.

DUE UP:

• The Crusaders play two on Saturday, against Siena at 1:30 p.m. and versus Toledo at 4:00 p.m.