The Dominican University softball team dropped the final two games of their spring trip to Clermont, Florida, falling to the Ursinus College Bears, 4-1, before dropping a 5-1 game to the SUNY Geneseo Knights.
 
After opening the trip 5-1 over the first three days, Dominican closes the trip an even 6-6, returning to the Chicagoland area to open Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play on Tuesday, March 20, against the Aurora University Spartans.  The twin bill is slated for a 4:00 p.m. first pitch at the Ballpark in Rosemont.
 
Game One: Ursinus 4, Dominican 1
 
Julia Orozco broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot over the fence in left before the Ursinus College Bears rallied for four runs in the top of the sixth in a 4-1 loss for the Stars.
 
Cat Klostermann got the start in the circle for Dominican, tossing three scoreless innings before turning the game over to the bullpen.  Michele Behrens worked around a hit batter in the fourth and a leadoff single in the fifth before Ursinus got to the lefty in the top of the sixth.  Renee LeClerc roped a one-out single to left before Callie Crouse doubled down the third base line to knot the game at 1-1.  Crouse later came around when Delaney Baker picked up a pinch-hit single to right to give the Bears the lead.  Ursinus tacked on two more when Kayla Quinn singled to left to plate Baker and Kaitlin Willis.
 
Willis picked up the win for the Bears, tossing a complete game and surrendering just one run on eight hits with no walks while striking out five.  For the Stars, Behrens was charged with the loss, giving up four runs on five hits and two walks over three innings of work.
 
At the plate, Dominican picked up eight hits, two for Sydney Kuderna who went 2-for-3.
 
Game Two: SUNY Geneseo 5, Dominican 1
 
Another pitchers' duel through the first three innings, the SUNY Geneseo Knights broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, breaking through for four runs on five hits, to open a 4-0 lead.
 
The Stars got one run back in the top of the fifth when Gabi Alfaro yanked a two-out single through the left side of the infield with runners at the corners, scoring Cecilia Winters McCarthy.  Looking to cut the lead in half, Ali Woitovich scalded a line drive that went right at Brooke Wolff, the Knights' shortstop, to end the threat.
 
After SUNY Geneseo tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, Dominican got a two-out single from Marissa Burns but could not push any runs across in the top of the seventh.
 
Kuderna took the los in the circle for the Stars, falling to 2-2 on the season.  The lefty was charged with four runs on four hits and three walks before handing the game over to Olivia Babusci. 
 
At the plate, Dominican managed five hits off of the Knights' Ashlyn Kersch who went the distance for the win.  Orozco and Burns were both 1-for-2 at the top of the order with Orozco drawing two walks and Burns laying down a pair of sac bunts.  Kuderna added a single as did Winters McCarthy