CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Lawrence University softball team dropped two games as it opened its season Sunday.
Elmhurst College defeated Lawrence 7-2 in the opening game, and Manchester College topped the Vikings 5-3.
Elmhurst (4-1) used a pair of pitchers to limit Lawrence (0-2) to two hits. Amber Schwarzinger allowed both runs and one hit over four innings to pick up the win. Meredith Foshag gave up 11 hits in five innings and took the loss.
Lawrence led 1-0 after Carli Gurholt led off the second inning with a solo homer, but the Bluejays tied it in the bottom half of the inning.
The Vikings grabbed the lead back in the top of the third when two errors, a walk, a passed ball, and a wild pitch led to a run and a 2-1 Lawrence edge.
Elmhurst took the lead back for good in the bottom of the third on Jill Karsa's two-run single. The Bluejays added a run in the fourth and then scored three times in the sixth to seal the win.
Maureen Roderick paced the Elmhust attack with three hits.
Manchester (4-6) used a big seventh inning to pull out the win.
The Vikings trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth when they got a two-out rally going and tied the game. Lawrence loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and an error. Jenna Reichel then singled to score Chelsea Wirtz, but Lara Wasserman was thrown out at third to end the threat.
Manchester then scored four times in the top of the seventh off freshman starter Emily Perish to grab the lead back. Danielle Blevins had a run-scoring double, and Katie Scott picked up a RBI single in the inning.
Lawrence battled back in the bottom of the seventh when Gurholt blasted a two-run homer to cut the lead to 5-3, but that's as close as the Vikings would get.
Reichel went 3-for-4 to pace the Lawrence offense, and Gurholt and Ellen French had two hits apiece.
Erica Bush gave up 10 hits, struck out four, and walked one to pick up the win. Perish allowed seven hits, struck out two, and walked four in taking the loss.