Box Score Lourdes opened its season on Sunday morning with an 11-9 victory over Carlow at Fortune Road in Kissimmee, Fla.  The Gray Wolves' second scheduled game against Cardinal Stritch was cancelled due to an umpire shortage.
 
"It was a fun first game of the year and great to be outside on the field," Caitlin Blanchard said afterwards.  "Our offense got some key hits and we made some nice plays defensively.  It's a great way to start this trip.  Unfortunately, we were not able to play our second game."
 
Lourdes started the season quickly as freshman Brooke Albert (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights H.S.) began her career with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, plating Annalisse Palma (Battle Creek, Mich./Lakeview H.S.), who led off the bottom of the first being hit by a pitch.
 
The Celtics responded with a solo home run in the second before the Gray Wolves scored four in the bottom of the second.  Palma reached on an error that scored Milena Applegate (Jerome, Mich./Lumen Christi H.S.) before Megan Richardson (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon H.S.) followed with a RBI single.  Palma then scored on a wild pitch before a sacrifice fly by Abby Cantrell (Gibsonburg, Ohio/Gibsonburg H.S.) gave Lourdes a 6-1 lead.
 
Carlow (1-1) scored three runs of its own in the top of the third before Maddy Donaldson (Trenton, Mich./Trenton H.S.) hit a home run in the bottom half of the frame to push the lead back to three.
 
The Celtics made it a 7-6 contest with a pair of runs in the fifth and had the bases loaded when Richardson relieved Applegate in the circle to end the threat.
 
Lourdes added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth.  Jaecy Jones (Clinton, Mich./Clinton H.S.) singled home a run and Richardson plated two more with a single to left.  An Albert double then made it an 11-7 advantage for the Gray Wolves.
 
Carlow tallied three late runs in the seventh but the Gray Wolves held on to give Blanchard her first victory at the helm of the Gray Wolves.
 
Applegate earned the win (1-0), yielding six runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings of work while Richardson closed out the game to pick up the save.
 
Richardson, Albert, and Donaldson all had two-hit games for the Gray Wolves as part of a 10-hit offensive attack. 
 
Lourdes (1-0) is scheduled to return to the diamond on Monday afternoon.  The Gray Wolves will face Judson at 2:15 p.m. followed by Bethel (Ind.) at 4:30 p.m. at Fortune Road.