ARLINGTON, Tex. (2/12/16) – Junior Arriana Acuna's two-run blast in the top of the ninth inning gave the University of Detroit Mercy softball team a thrilling 5-3 season opening win in extras against Missouri State University, before the Titans fell to the University of Texas Arlington in game two, 11-1, from Allan Saxe Field on Friday.
 
GAME ONE VS MISSOURI STATE
Acuna's homerun, the first of her career, capped a three-run ninth inning for the Titans and squashed the Bears comeback attempt in the season opener for Detroit.
 
Detroit led through much of the game as senior Christa McGahuey tossed seven dominant innings. McGahuey took a two-hit shutout into the top of the seventh inning before a leadoff homerun sent the game into extras.
 
The Titans and Bears traded a pair of runs in the eighth before Detroit took control of the game in the ninth. Sophomore Savvy Ferstle put the Titans ahead, 3-2, with a RBI single. Acuna followed with a towering bomb that put the Titans ahead 5-2.
 
Missouri State scratched a run across in the bottom of the ninth, but could get no closer as junior Alexis Robison-Kohrs slammed the door with the save.
 
Junior Keaira Schilling picked up the first win of her Detroit career after throwing an effective eighth inning.  
 
The Titans took the first lead of the game in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Jenna Reeves and Katy Severson.
 
Ferstle finished the game 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI, while Acuna was 1-for-1 with two RBI.

The win is Detroit's first season opening win since 2002, when the Titans defeated Robert Morris, 8-3.
 

And that does it! Detroit softball wins the season opener over Missouri St in extras, 5-3. #DetroitTough #HLSB pic.twitter.com/6O2uvfpKFL

— Detroit Titans (@detroittitans) February 12, 2016

 
GAME TWO VS UT ARLINGTON
Detroit fell behind early after a sloppy first inning spotted the Mavericks five runs. The Titans had trouble finding their footing thereafter and fell 11-1 in a shortened five-inning game.
 
Detroit scored its lone run in the third inning on a sharp RBI single to left field off the bat of Ferstle, who finished the day with four hits in seven at bats.
 
The Titans were edged by a modest 7-5 margin in hits, but allowed four free passes and made three errors to give up four unearned runs.

With the loss, Detroit settles for a split at 1-1 in the first action of 2016. Meanwhile, UT Arlington improves to 3-0.
 
ON TAP
The Titans have little time to waste as they return to action Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Detroit will face Texas Southern and Northern Colorado on day two from Arlington, Tex.