Lourdes split a pair of games on Tuesday morning at Hancock Park in Clermont, Fla., dropping the opener to Mount Vernon Nazarene 12-2 before bouncing back to defeat Spring Arbor 5-2.
 
In the opener against Mount Vernon Nazarene, the Cougars jumped in front early, scoring three runs in the top of the first, taking advantage of two Lourdes errors and two wild pitches. 
 
Lourdes took advantage of two walks and a hit batter in the bottom of the first, scoring a run as Marissa Kostick's (Saint Charles, Mich./Saint Charles H.S.) ground out plated Kayla Encalado (Walbridge, Ohio/Lake H.S.).
 
Mount Vernon Nazarene sent 11 batters to the plate in the second, tallying five hits while taking advantage of three walks to score six more runs, building a 9-1 advantage.
 
Oliviah Banister (Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon H.S.) collected her first collegiate hit, a home run to right-center, with two outs in the fourth, but the Gray Wolves surrendered three more runs in the fifth, all unearned, as the Cougars ended the game.
 
Courtney Rengert went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple while driving home six runs to pace Mount Vernon Nazarene's 12-hit attack. 
 
Sarah Boue' earned the complete game win (3-0) for the Cougars, limiting Lourdes to three hits and three walks while striking out two.  Kostick suffered the loss (0-2) in the circle for the Gray Wolves, allowing eight runs, seven of which were earned, and seven hits in 1.1 innings of work.
 
The Gray Wolves rebounded in the second contest, scoring quickly against Spring Arbor.  Olivia Stanton (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland H.S.) singled and when the throw in was astray, Encalado scored to put Lourdes in front 1-0 in the opening inning. 
 
Paige Churchfield (Saginaw, Mich./Swan Valley H.S.) delivered a run-scoring single in the fourth while Stanton's third hit of the game scored Taylor Genzman (Saint Clair Shores, Mich./Lakeview H.S.) in the fifth to put Lourdes in front 3-0.
 
Lourdes added two insurance runs in the sixth as Genzman singled home pinch runners Lexi Ripperger (Loveland, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame H.S.) and Meghan Birr (Muskegon, Mich./Mona Shores H.S.).
 
"We put all three phases of the game together in game two," head coach Jo Ann Gordon said afterwards.  "Our offensive approach were much better and not surprisingly we had positive results."
 
Brooke Gallaher (Oregon, Ohio/Clay H.S.) allowed just one hit through the first six innings to earn the win (2-1).  She finished the game allowing just one earned run and four hits while striking out five in 6.1 innings.
 
"Brooke threw a great game, keeping their hitters off balance and the defense played well behind her," Gordon added.
 
Spring Arbor (5-7) mounted a rally in the seventh, scoring two times and loaded the bases, but Samantha Shirling (Pemberville, Ohio/Eastwood H.S.) induced a popout and ground out to earn her first save of the year.
 
Lauren Heath suffered the loss (1-2), allowing five runs, three of which were earned.  She gave up eight of the nine hits the Gray Wolves banged out on the afternoon.
 
Lourdes (2-4) will take Wednesday off before returning to the diamond at Hancock Park on Thursday afternoon.  The Gray Wolves will face Marian at 3:30 p.m. and Trinity Christian at 6 p.m.