YOUNGSVILLE, La. (2/22/2020) -- Senior Liz Murphy was dominate in the circle in game one and added a scoreless inning in the nightcap as the University of Detroit Mercy softball team concluded the second day of play at the Mardi Gras Mambo on Saturday.

The Titans lost a heartbreaker to Houston Baptist, 1-0, before losing to McNeese State, 21-1.

Murphy allowed just one unearned run in eight innings of work on the day, throwing a complete game against Houston Baptist with nine strikeouts and punching out another batter against McNeese State in the second game. 

Junior Ellie Boteler was 3-for-5 on the day and freshman Reese Ruhlman had another RBI.

The Titans will close out the event on Sunday when they face Nicholls State at 11 a.m. 

Houston Baptist 1, Detroit Mercy 0
Murphy was the hard-luck loser against the Huskies as she went all seven innings allowing an unearned run with a season-high nine strikeouts, walking three and giving up just one hit. 

She struck out two in the first as she stranded HBU runners on first and third. 

The Huskies got their run in the third on a walk after an error kept the inning alive.

In the sixth, the Titans had runners on second and third with two outs as sophomore Taylor Gauthier had a single and Boteler doubled, but the red, white and blue could not get the tying run across.

Houston Baptist 21, Detroit Mercy 1
The Titans struck first as sophomore McKenna Tanguay had a leadoff walk and would later move to second base on a groundout. With two outs, that is when Ruhlman came up clutch again with a RBI single up the middle.

McNeese State would then jump on the Titans with nine runs in the first and eight in the second to blow the game open.

Boteler also had a hit in the game as did senior Jen Lorenz.