The Misericordia University softball team lost a pair of close games on the opening day of spring break, Monday in Melbourne, FL.
 
The Cougars dropped the opener to John Carroll, 1-0, and lost two Dubuque, 7-6, in game two.
 
John Carroll scored three runs in the top of the fifth in game one and the Cougars scored their lone run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
The Cougars loaded the bases in the bottom of the first, but left three runners stranded.  MU went down in order until Mackenzie Fizer singled in the fourth.
 
Trailing 3-0, Fizer drew a one-out walk in the sixth and went to second when Casey Funesti reached on an error. Rylie Nasso walked to load the bases.  All three runners moved up on a wild pitch and Kiersten Tinio walked to re-load the bases, but the Cougars left the bases full.
 
In game two, Gianna Foreman, Bridget Doherty and Tinio all had two hits.
 
Foreman drove in three runs, including a solo homer.
 
The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.  Nasso drew a lead-off walk and Doherty reached on a bunt single before Foreman's one-out double to left center.
 
Foreman homered to left to lead off the third inning and give MU a 3-2 lead.
 
Down 5-3, the Cougars got a run back in the top of the fourth.  Nasso walked and went to third on Doherty's double down the left field line.  Kailana Auchey's RBI-ground out got MU within 5-4.
 
Trailing 6-4, Misericordia tied it in the top of the sixth.  Fizer walked and went to third when Funesti reached on an error. One out later, Emmalee Mowery drove in a run with a single and Alicia Moran tied it with a fielder's choice.
 
The Cougars threatened in the top of the seventh when Russo and Tinio opened the inning on back-to-back singles, but were unable to get the game-tying hit.