Lourdes wrapped up the road portion of its 2023 season on Sunday afternoon, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Cleary 9-7 and 9-1 at Lake Trust Stadium in Howell, Mich.
 
The Gray Wolves struck quickly in the opener, scoring three times in the first inning.  Abby Cantrell (Gibsonburg, Ohio/Gibsonburg H.S.) delivered a run-scoring double followed by back-to-back RBI singles from Emily Wallace (Thornville, Ohio/Lakewood H.S.) and Olivia Hickman (Trenton, Mich./Trenton H.S.).
 
Cleary responded with five runs in the second, batting around in the inning.  Only three were earned as the Cougars capitalized on a Lourdes error.
 
Lourdes tied the game in the fifth as Abigail Sparks (Dundee, Mich./Summerfield H.S.) hit a pinch-hit two-run home run, her first collegiate round-tripper.  Hickman then put the Gray Wolves in front in the sixth with another RBI single before Ella Leonard (Lorain, Ohio/Midview H.S.) did the same, giving Lourdes a 7-5 lead.
 
A lead-off home run in the sixth pulled Cleary within one before the Cougars took advantage of a two-out error to score three more runs in the frame, taking the lead for good.
 
Hickman had three hits while Megan Richardson (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon H.S.), Cantrell, and Wallace had two each in game one as Lourdes pounded out 13 hits.
 
The Gray Wolves scored a run in the first inning of game two as well, as Brooke Albert (Edgewood, Ky./Dixie Heights H.S.) led off with a double and scored two batters later on a single by Richardson.  That would be all the offense for Lourdes in game two though, as the Gray Wolves managed just five hits, including two by Richardson.
 
Cleary (11-32, 5-17 WHAC) plated three in the bottom of the first, three more in the third, two of which were unearned, and closed out the game with three more in the fifth.
 
Lourdes (10-26, 5-15) will close out its 2023 campaign on Friday afternoon as the Gray Wolves host Madonna.  First pitch in game one of the doubleheader is set for 3:30 p.m. at Gray Wolf Field.