COCOA BEACH, Fla. (Softball) – The Bears lost two tight contests by scores of 4-1 in a doubleheader with St. Mary of the Woods to open the season on Monday afternoon in Titusville.

Morgan Conrad (SO/Circleville, Ohio) had a strong pitching performance in game one, allowing two runs and totaling seven strikeouts through seven innings of work. Hannah Dittoe (SR/Pickerington, Ohio) provided some major offense in the second game of the doubleheader, going 2-for-3 and adding an RBI.

Game One

St. Mary of the Woods jumped out to a two run lead early in this one, scoring both runs in the first inning. SSU answered in their half of the first when Katlyn Gleich (FR/Grove City, Ohio) scored on a wild pitch. Each team's pitcher settled in as the next five innings were scoreless.

The Bears went down after St. Mary of the Woods pushed another two runs across in the top of the seventh inning. The Bears were unable to rally in their half of the seventh and fell by a final score of 4-1.

Game Two

Shawnee State struck first in game two of the doubleheader. Dittoe hit an RBI single scoring Gleich in the top of the first inning. The Bears held on to a one-run lead through the first four innings

St. Mary of the Woods put themselves on the board with a four-run fifth inning. Shawnee State was unable to answer falling in this one by a final score of 4-1.

Shawnee State has another doubleheader this Tuesday against Iowa Wesleyan College. The first game is scheduled for an 8 a.m. start in Cocoa Beach, Florida