Clermont, FL – The D'Youville softball team opened the 2016 in sunny Florida on Friday afternoon, dropping the first game 3-0 to Carthage and 7-3 to Plattsburgh State.

In their first game of the day against the Carthage Reds, D'Youville was unable to get a run across the plate. Carthage scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth and added another run in the bottom of the fifth for all three of their runs.

Hannah Turek (Depew, NY/Lancaster) and Victoria Purucker (North Tonawanda, NY/Starpoint) accounted for the only two hits in the game for the Spartans. Kalie McHenry (Amherst, NY/Sweet Home) and Ashley Colan (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) each earned two walks in the game. McHenry took her first loss of the season pitching a complete game and striking out eight.

Game number two of the day saw the D'Youville offense come to life, but not before Plattsburgh State could build a sound lead. The Cardinals scored five runs in the top of the first inning to give themselves a comfortable lead. Lydia Monin (Buffalo, NY/Tapestry Charter School) started the bottom half of the inning with a single and was driven in by Turek.

Plattsburgh State added their final two runs in the top of the fourth to take a 7-1 lead, but the Spartans trimmed the lead in the sixth. Darian Evans (Brant, NY/Lake Shore) started off the inning with a double and then advanced to third in the next at-bat. She was then singled in by Sierra Belkota (North Tonawanda, NY/Starpoint) to make the game 7-2. Monin then singled to left field in the next at-bat and scored Colan from third for D'Youville's final run of the game.

Monin led the team in batting in the game with three hits and an RBI. Turek picked up the loss in her first start of the season while McHenry came in and pitched 3.2 shutout innings. The Spartans totaled nine hits in the game and left eight runners on base.

The women will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday March 19^th at 5pm against Washington & Jefferson and at 7pm against St. Lawrence.