The softball team came back strong on its second day of competition during a Feb. 8-9 road trip but were unable to overcome some tough competition, finishing the Cleveland State Dome Tournament with a 1-3 record.

“We are definitely looking to score one or two more runs per game, but coming out of the first weekend only losing by one run is never a bad place to start. This weekend was only a small glimpse of how great I think our offense can be,” Amanda Fazio ’16 said.

The Bison started off their weekend with a match against the home team Cleveland State. Fazio took the mound for the team in the defensive battle, recording six strikeouts while allowing only six hits and only one unearned run in her first start of the season. However, her teammates struggled to convert on the offensive end. Courtney Conover ’14 had a double, and both Erin Cox ’15 and Cydnee Sanders ’15 had singles, but it was not enough for the Orange and Blue in the 1-0 loss.

The Bison turned on their offense in the second match of the day but couldn’t overcome Canisius in the 11-10 loss. Jacee Almond ’17 and Kristen Zahn ’15 led the offensive explosion, each contributing two-run homers along with the rest of their offensive production. The defense was not able to hold out against a strong opponent, even though reliever Lara Bean ’17 pitched over six innings with just three hits and one run earned.

“I was overall very happy with how I played. I am coming back from an injury that ended my season last year so it was a great feeling being back on the field,” Zahn said.

The Orange and Blue came into their second day of competition swinging, ready to take on Bowling Green in the morning. Bean contributed to the shutout with a start on the mound for the team, earning her first career win, while Dana Nielson ’16 earned a save by pitching two innings with three strikeouts and only one hit. Many Bison contributed on offense, with Sanders and Zahn leading the way with doubles in the sixth to seal the deal with the second run in the 2-0 victory.

The Bison were unable to finish out the day with a win when they dropped their final game of the tournament to Robert Morris 4-3. Almond and Zahn both continued their strong weekends with homers, while Fazio and Nielsen both contributed strong performances on the mound. The team was unable to tie up the contest and ended the weekend on a disappointing note.

“What held us back in a few of the games was a slow start to our offense but eventually we were able to make the adjustment–it was just a little late in a few of the games,” Zahn said.

The Bison will compete in the Longwood Spring Classic starting tomorrow in Farmville, Va.