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CLERMONT, Fla. (March 1) - The Wheeling Jesuit University softball team were defeated in a pair of games to open play at the PFX Spring Games. The Cardinals dropped a 7-4 game to Northern State (S.D.), before being knocked off by Cedarville 3-0 to close out the first day.

GAME 1: Northern State 7, Wheeling Jesuit 4
Despite scoring runs in each of the first three innings, the Cardinals were defeated 7-4 by Northern State.

Junior Crystal Carrillo (Los Angeles, Calif./Warren) opened the scoring with a two-RBI single to make the score 2-0 in the first inning. The Wolves sliced the lead in half with a run in the second, but an RBI-double by junior Brianna Grimes (Mason, Ohio/Mason) and a solo home run by senior Courtney Rogers (Hurricane, W.Va./Hurricane) in the third gave WJU a 4-1 lead.

Northern State plated two runs in the fourth to draw within one, 4-3, and delivered the dagger with a grand slam home run in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead for the win.

Carillo, Rogers and senior Jackie Cramer (Indian Head, Pa./Connellsville) each finished with two hits to lead the Cardinals. 

GAME 2: Cedarville 3, Wheeling Jesuit 0
The Cardinals nearly rallied late, but came up short in their 3-0 loss to Cedarville to close out the first day at the PFX Games.

WJU was down to its final out in the seventh inning when back-to-back singles by freshman Kelsey Barron (La Salle, Mich./St. Mary Catholic Central) and Gina Fogle (Toronto, Ohio/Toronto) coupled with a walk by junior Morgan Hodge (Willoughby, Ohio / Willoughby South) loaded the bases up. Kramer came to the plate and ran the count full, before a called third-strike ended the Cardinal threat.

Barron (0-2) took the loss in the circle after yielding three runs on six hits with two strikeouts over six innings of work.

Fogle was the top hitter for WJU with two of the team's five hits in the game.

The Cardinals return to the diamond tomorrow, Saturday, March 2 when they face regional-foes Mercyhurst (9 a.m.) and Edinboro (11:30 a.m.). There will not be any live coverage of either game. Follow the Cardinals on twitter (@WJUCardinals) for updates.