Box Score GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Carroll College softball closed out its inaugural season Sunday afternoon with two loses at the hands of the University of Great Falls. The Argos won game one 5-3 and game two 4-2.
"We played well again today," head coach
Aaron Jackson said. "With two evenly matched teams the difference in the game is not much. A hit there or a play there is the difference."
The difference in game one came with the long ball. The Argos scored three of their five runs on homes runs.
UGF built a 4-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the second on a home run from Kayeley Lyons. The Argos added a run in the bottom of the third inning before the Saints answered in the top of the fourth.
Maddie Jones hit a solo home run to get the offense going. Two batters later, Taylor Ostwald hit a two-run jack to cut the UGF advantage to 4-3.
That is all of the offense the Saints could muster in game one. The Argos added some insurance in the sixth with a solo shot from Alex Lowry to earn the 5-3 win.
Game two didn't begin well for the Saints. UGF's Mindy Larson scored on an error in the bottom of the first inning to give the Argos the 1-0 lead. They grew the lead to 3-0 with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.
The Saints answered in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run from
Allison Bayer to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Argos added a run in the bottom of the sixth and brought in Shelby Abeyta as a closer to pitch the seventh inning. She sat the Saints down in order to close the door on the game and the Carroll season.
The Saints end the first year in program history at 13-27, an admirable record for a first-year squad chock-full of freshmen. Included in those 13 wins is a five-game win streak and a win over 15th-ranked Concordia(Ore.).
Jackson and his young squad are ready to get back to work as the Saints prepare to join the Cascade Conference with a full season of experience under their belts.
"Today closes the first chapter in Carroll Softball history and I couldn't be more proud of this team," Jackson said. "They proved to everyone that they can play with the best in country. We gained valuable experience that will help write chapter two and the work begins tomorrow on chapter two."
