By Amanda Guerriero

For the Pride, it may have been a relief that its game against the University of Alabama was rained out this past Saturday.

After four straight losses, playing a second College World Series team in two days probably wasn’t the Pride’s most sought after game to get the team back on track.

The Pride dropped its first two games in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic, both of which took place on Friday. Its opportunity to win a game in the Classic was rained on when all of the games for Saturday and Sunday were cancelled due to unplayable field conditions from heavy rainfall. The Classic took place in Columbus, Ga., where playing conditions are always a day-to-day question. In the games it was able to play, the Pride fell to Michigan, 5-3, and Georgia Tech, 3-1.

The Pride hoped its first game of the Classic against defending national champion Michigan would end in an upset victory, but Michigan’s Grace Leutele smashed the Pride’s chances with a two-run single during the fifth inning to break the tie at three. Leutele’s big hit scored Samantha Findlay and Alessandra Giampaolo, who started the inning, with singles of their own.

“We made some errors, but overall I feel we played pretty well,” Pride freshman pitcher Kayleigh Lotti said.

The team came out cold, and Michigan cashed in with an early 3-0 lead, but the Pride wised up quickly and came out on fire in the second. Senior second baseman Lisa Wambold paced the comeback with a two-run double, combined with a walk to Ashley Lane. It forced Michigan’s starting pitcher Lorilyn Wilson out of the game.

Unfortunately for the Pride, in Wilson’s relief came Stacey Delaney, a freshman, who held the team to just one hit while racking up seven strikeouts. Her showing was impressive eough to gain her first collegiate win.

Lotti stuck it out for the whole game, allowing six hits and striking out three. Her record fell to 2-3 for the season, but she took some consolation in the loss. “I think we have played great competition and we just came up a little short in a couple of the games we lost.”

In the second game of the day the Pride sent another freshman pitcher, Melissa Hodge, to the circle to face Georgia Tech. Hodge got off to a shaky start, giving up two runs on a costly throwing error. She had previously allowed a run by giving up three singles and a walk before giving the Yellow Jackets two freebeies.

“I believe Lotti and I are going to show people freshman can do just as much as the upperclassmen,” Hodge said. “With a couple more games under our belts we’ll be climbing the ladder to a successful season.”

The Pride merely slipped away from a shutout when Georgia Tech reliever Whitney Haller threw a wild pitch that scored Hodge. However, when the Pride’s Carolann Lubach tried to sneak in a run on a ball that got past the catcher, she ultimately threw out a chance at a potential rally.

A bunt single to lead off the fourth inning by Wambold ended the no-hitter Humphrey was building after retiring the Pride’s first eight batters. Haller only allowed one hit to ensure the save and keep the Pride far from striking distance.