TUCSON, AZ – The RIT softball team (2-8) concluded its season-opening spring trip with a pair of losses at the Tucson Invitational. RIT opened the day with an 11-2 loss to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (2-7) and ended the trip with a 2-1 loss to Macalester College (6-8).

RIT jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Wisconsin-La Crosse, as Olivia Doret (Fairfax, VA/Chantilly) and Danielle Hotz (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) singled and came around to score on a single by Madisen Baldwin (Washougal, WA/Washougal).

Wisconsin-La Crosse scored once in the second, twice in the third and broke open a close game with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the contest. Brittany Baldwin, who had three hits, ended the game with a three-run home run in the fifth inning.

In the second game against Macalester, sophomore pitcher Melissa Gould (Harleysville, PA/Souderton Area) fired a complete-game five-hitter with one strikeout. Macalester scored an unearned run in the opening inning and a run in the third inning.

RIT would get on the board in the fourth inning, as Raquel Estrada (Middletown, NY/Middletown) led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on a single by Sarah Thayer (Tully, NY/Fabius-Pompey). The Tigers brought the tying run to third base in the top of the seventh inning, but could not get the runner home.

The Tigers are scheduled to be in action next on Wednesday, March 21 with a non-league doubleheader at Oswego State that gets underway at 3 p.m.