Lourdes opened Monday with a 4-1 victory over before dropping a 5-3 decision to Bethel (Ind.) on Monday afternoon as the Gray Wolves continued play at The Spring Games at Fortune Road in Kissimmee, Fla.
 
Kirsten Smith (Marysville, Mich./Marysville H.S.) was dominant in her collegiate debut, going the distance in the circle striking out 11 while scattering five hits and three walks and yielding just one run. 
 
"Kirsten pitched a gem in her first college game," head coach Caitlin Blanchard said afterwards.  "She gave us the chance to win.  We did a lot of little things right that allowed for us to get the good team win."
 
The Gray Wolves struck first in the opening inning.  Annalisse Palma (Battle Cree, Mich./Lakeview H.S.) led off the opening inning with a single, stole second, and scored one batter later on a Judson error.
 
Aggressiveness on the base paths led to the second run for Lourdes as well.  After Maddy Donaldson (Trenton, Mich./Trenton H.S.) led off the fourth with a walk, Maddy Bartos (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview H.S.) pinch ran.  She swiped second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a ground out by Emily Wallace (Thornville, Ohio/Lakewood H.S.).
 
The lead grew to 4-0 in the fifth as Palma and Megan Richardson (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon H.S.) had back-to-back singles.  Brooke Albert (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights H.S.) laid down a bunt that allowed both runners to move up two bases, with Palma sliding home safely.  A ground out by Abby Cantrell (Gibsonburg, Ohio/Gibsonburg H.S.) then plated Richardson.
 
Judson (1-3) scored its lone run in the sixth on back-to-back two-out hits, but that would be the Eagles' lone run of the game.
 
Lourdes struck quickly against Bethel (1-2) as well.  Richardson homered in the game's second at bat.  Jaecy Jones (Clinton, Mich./Clinton H.S.) added a sacrifice fly later in the inning, plating Albert, who reached on an error.
 
The Pilots tied the game in the third with a pair of unearned runs following a two-out error, and took a 3-2 lead after four.
 
The Gray Wolves pulled even at three in the fifth as Vivianna Gonzalez (Brownstown, Mich./Cabrini H.S.) led off with a double.  Sophia Dauterman (Toledo, Ohio/Whiteford H.S.) followed with a single, putting runners at the corners with no one out and a delayed double steal then allowed Gonzalez to score.
 
The game stayed tied into the bottom of the sixth when the Pilots were able to plate a pair of unearned runs with two outs which proved to be the difference.
 
"Game two was filled with defensive miscues and offensive lulls," Blanchard added.  "Bethel made big plays and we didn't make the easy ones."
 
The Gray Wolves tallied six hits in each game.
 
Lourdes (2-1) returns to the diamond on Tuesday as the Gray Wolves face Saint Thomas at 3:45 p.m. and Dordt at 6:15 p.m. in Kissimmee.