CLEARWATER, Fla. - Western Michigan softball battled Fordham in a pitchers duel to end its second day at the USF Under Armour Showcase but fell, 1-0, after opening the day with a 6-3 loss to Loyola-Chicago.
Allyson Kus pitched a gem in the loss, scattering seven hits over seven innings and allowed just the one earned run in the top of the seventh. Fordham was down to its last out but rallied with a double and single to plate the game's lone run.
Western Michigan was not able to mount any offense in the home half of the last inning, going down in order. Throughout the game, WMU managed just three hits off the bats of Lauren Nagy, Christina Pigozzi and Marleen Rodriguez.
In the first game, Loyola-Chicago used a five-run second inning to take control after the Broncos jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Nagy's second home run of the season.
The Ramblers' five runs came with Becca Shemberger in the circle but all were unearned due to one error in the inning. The Broncos plated two more runs in the top of the third to pull within two runs.
Sabrina Gamboa and Nagy drew one out walks. Diana Patterson, hitting .364 for the tournament, drove in a run with a double to left center. Caity Pixley registered a sac fly to score Nagy. Loyola-Chicago added an insurance run in the sixth with a single and double on back-to-back at bats.
Western Michigan closes out its stay in Florida with its first ever meeting against Massachusetts at 9 a.m.
