The University of Detroit Mercy softball team hit the dirt for the first time in 2010, taking the field in Kissimmee, FL, where the Titans and first-year head coach Sunny Jones fell to Bryant University, 6-3, in the season opener and were unable to hold on to an early lead during a 7-6 loss to Fairfield University in game two.

Detroit (0-2) faced a 2-0 hole before taking their first swings of the season, as Bryant collected four of its eight hits in the game during the opening frame. But the Titans and starting pitcher sophomore Kara Spinelli (Newman, CA/Orestimba) settled down quickly and held Bryant off the board for the next two innings.

Senior outfielder Erica Houthoofd (Unionville, MI/Unionville-Sebewaing Area) hit a shot toward the left side of the infield that the third baseman was unable to handle in the bottom of the third, driving in sophomore Rachel Copple (Dearborn Hts., MI/Allen Park Cabrini) and cutting the Bryant lead to 3-1. Bryant answered with a single run in the fourth and tacked on three more in the fifth, leaving the Titans with a 6-1 deficit as they came up to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Titans got the sixth inning off to a fast start when senior Jessica Liebner (Ortonville, MI/Brandon) reached on an error to lead off, before back-to-back singles by sophomore Renee Zaccagni (Macomb, MI/Dakota) and freshman Katie Schaus (Unionville, MI/Unionville-Sebewaing Area) brought Liebner around to score. Unable to cut into the lead further, the Titans stranded two runners in the inning, and continued to battle in the bottom of the seventh where another hot-shot off the bat of Houthoofd was mishandled, allowing sophomore Krissy Pitock (Carleton, MI/Carleton-Airport) to come in for Detroit's third and final run of the game.

Spinelli went the distance on the mound against Bryant, striking out four and allowing eight hits.

Junior Stefanie Morong (Ludington, MI/Marian Catholic Central) got the starting nod in game two for the Titans, and cruised into the fourth inning with a 6-0 lead. Fairfield got two runs back in the fourth off Morong, who went 4.0 innings in the contest struck out three while only allowing three hits. But Morong began struggling with control when she returned to the circle to start the fifth, and was replaced by Spinelli with the Titans lead down to one, 6-5.

Fairfield put up one more in the fifth, tying the game at 6-6, and completed the comeback in the sixth with a single run, courtesy of a Titan error.

UDM scored all its runs early but was unable to hold the momentum. Four straight walks in the first inning put the Titans on the board, and a pair of fielder's choices off the bats of Liebner and Zaccagni put the lead at 3-0 to end the opening frame.

In the top of the fourth, Detroit added three more. Schaus walked and stole second to start the inning and came around to score on a single from Morong. Then, a Houthoofd single to center brought in both Morong and Pitock to expand the lead to 6-0.

“We had plenty of opportunities to score in the second game,” said Jones. “Twice we had the bases load and failed to capitalize. We hit the ball well throughout the game, they just came back on us and we fell asleep.”

Overall, Jones was pleased with what she saw out of her squad in their first opportunity of the 2010 campaign.

“We played real well defensively, especially considering it was our first time on the dirt this year,” Jones said. “We made a few errors, but nothing that was very costly. The big thing I saw is that we need to be more aggressive at the plate and play tougher. We played tough at times today, but we need to be able to play tough for the whole seven innings.”

The Titans will be back in action with anther twin bill Monday afternoon, facing Indiana State at 1:00 p.m. and Pennsylvania University at 5:00 p.m.