CLEARWATER, Fla.- Western Michigan softball fell to Dayton by a 4-1 score Friday in the Broncos' opening game at the USF Under Armour Showcase.

It was the first of 13 games for WMU during the annual spring trip to Florida. The Broncos' second game today against Boston College has been delayed by rain. The team is scheduled to play Villanova and Georgetown tomorrow.

Dayton's Natalie Mariano led off Friday morning's game with a triple and scored on a sac fly to give the Flyers an early 1-0 lead.

After giving up the triple, WMU sophomore pitcher Erin Binkowski settled in over the next five innings. Binkowski retired the next nine batters in a row following Mariano and didn't allow another hit until the top of the fourth.

Binkowski began to run out of steam in the sixth, giving up a leadoff single and then loading the bases with two outs after a pair of walks. Freshman catcher Kailee Budicin delivered the big blow for Dayton driving in two runs with a single to left that increased UD's lead to 3-0.

Western Michigan shot back with a run in the bottom of the sixth but had Dayton counter with a run in the top of the seventh. Senior Jenny Rohn led off the Bronco at bat in the sixth with a single to right and went on to score on a two-out RBI single by Kelsea Cichocki.

The Bronco offense missed a few opportunities in the game. Caity Pixley hit a leadoff double in the second and stood on third after a sac bunt. A groundout to second and an infield pop fly ended the Bronco threat. Western Michigan also came away empty after having a runner on first and third with no outs in the fourth.

Binkowski took the loss on the mound, giving up three runs and four hits over 5.2 innings pitched. Freshman Anissa Sanchez recorded the final out in the sixth and threw the final inning. Both Western Michigan (1-6) and Dayton (6-8) had six hits in the game.