Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CLERMONT, Fla. -- After Saturday's games were canceled due to inclimate weather, the Notre Dame College softball team finally was able to take the field and open the 2015 campaign with a pair of games against Dowling College and Saginaw Valley State University. However, the Falcons fell short in a pair of narrow losses, losing 5-3 and 3-0, respectively.

Game One
Dowling College 5, Notre Dame College 3

Playing the 2015 season opener against the Dowling Golden Lions, the Falcons turned to senior pitcher Ashley Hall, who held opponents to a .241 batting average in 2014. Hall found her groove early, retiring the first three batters she faced this season. 

In the top of the second inning, the Falcons threatened to score with Kayla Sidorski on third base and Perris Stevens on second. However, NDC couldn't advance the runners any further, leaving the game scoreless.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning, when the Golden Lions scored the first runs of the game. After Hall retired the first two batters of the inning with ease, three straight hits led to three runs and a 3-0 lead for Dowling.

NDC still trailed by just three going into the fifth inning, but two more runs from the Sea Lions put the Falcons down 5-0 going into the sixth.

After a scoreless sixth inning, the Falcons' bats came to life in the seventh inning. 

Maria Vanadia led off the seventh inning with a walk, allowing Nataly Ciocca to pinch run as both gave the Falcons a spark. After a fielders choice and a fly, the Falcons were down 3-0 with one out and Allison Smith on first base.

Mackenzie Wallace walked, giving NDC two runners on base and another spark. Kelsey Coleman, who led the Falcons with a .389 average and 10 home runs last season, delivered once again with a 3-run home run, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
 
However, that's as close as NDC would come, falling short by a final score of 5-3.

Hall finished the game with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings, while Wallace allowed just one run in 1 2/3 innings of relief.

Game Two
Saginaw Valley State 3, Notre Dame College 0

The second game of the day, and of the 2015 season, pitted the Falcons against the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in Clermont, Florida. Making her pitching debut of the 2015 season, Ashley Pokraka took the circle for NDC.

In a battle of the birds, the Falcons and Cardinals remained scoreless in a pitchers duel until the bottom of the third inning. A solo homer from the SVSU's Deanna Stickler-Gatson gave the Cardinals a slim 1-0 lead through three innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Cardinals used a pair of consecutive hits to tack on one more run, but Pokraka showed poise and limited the damage. After four innings, the Falcons trailed by just two, 2-0.

Responding on offense, the Falcons used back-to-back hits from Sarah Depp and Kelsey Coleman to put two runners on base. After a sacrifice bunt pushed Depp to third base and Coleman to second, NDC had two runners now in scoring position. However, the Falcons couldn't push the runners across home plate, leaving the deficit at 2-0.

From there, the Falcons struggled to find their offensive groove. Pokraka continued to put together an impressive performance, but NDC remained scoreless and fell short by a final score of 3-0.

Pokraka finished the game with an impressive line of allowing just three runs over six innings while striking out four. Coleman finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk, reaching base three separate times.

The Falcons will return to action with a pair of games on Monday, March 2 against Grand Valley State University and Lewis University. The games are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.