Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Two pitching duels broke out at the Osceola Softball Complex on John Carroll's first day of competition in Kissimmee, Florida.

Both times, the duels went against the Blue Streaks in the sixth inning.

JCU fell by a 4-1 score against Muhlenberg in the opener, and then by a 1-0 count against Montclair State in the second game.

The Blue Streaks actually scored first in the Muhlenberg contest. Heads up and aggressive base running by Miranda Noday got a run across in the bottom of the first inning. Her delayed steal of home with two outs gave JCU a 1-0 lead.

Muhlenberg got on the board with an unearned run in the top of the third, and that's the way the score would stand until the top of the sixth inning.

The Mules started off by getting a runner on base, after which Kelly Gerringer came on in relief of starter Jennifer Patterson. Gerringer loaded the bases but also got two outs. She then worked a 3-2 count to senior Karissa Astrella, and was one strike away from getting out of the jam. But Astrella responded with a shot to the wall in deep right center that cleared all the bases.

JCU was only able to get one more baserunner on the rest of the way.

Patterson allowed seven hits and two runs (one earned) in taking the tough luck loss. The Blue Streaks were held to five hits, with Jennie Broski the only one who had a hit for extra bases (a double in the fourth).

Jessica Cook had an even harder luck loss. She pitched two hit softball against Montclair State for five innings before allowing three hits and one run in the bottom of the sixth that wound up being the decider.

John Carroll held a 6-5 advantage in hits, and had two runners hit safely with two outs (Elizabeth Fraas and Quinn Sobieszczanski) to put pressure on Montclair, but could not push across the equalizer.

The Blue Streaks fell to 0-5 with the two losses today. JCU will take on Misericordia and Rhodes Tuesday in an effort to get into the win column.