Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – TU Softball (6-6) was blanked on day two of Green & Gray Invite, losing for the second straight day to the University of Rio Grande (3-2), 5-3, and falling to the #21 Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies (14-4), 2-1 in eight innings.

In game one, Rio jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two runs in the bottom half of the second and another in the fifth. TU made it a one run game in their half of the sixth, 3-2, when senior Danielle Lower (2-2, R, HR, 3 RBI) drove the first pitch she faced over center field fence for a two run home run after freshman Kylie Rawlins (1-2, R, 2B) had led off with a double. URG would respond with two in the bottom half of the inning, making it a three run ball game. Lower struck again in the top of the seventh, driving in a run on a two out base hit. Junior pitcher Ashley Sikes (1-1) tossed four innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits, in the loss. The TU defense committed three errors.

The night cap saw GGC & TU locked up in a pitcher's duel, with both pitchers tossing blanks thru the four opening frames. Thomas broke thru in the fifth, when a two out base hit by freshman Gaby Mora (2-4, 2B, RBI) brought home junior Brittany Daniels (2-4, R, SB) who had singled and advanced all the way to third after she stole second. Sophomore starting pitcher Katie Lopes exited, the scoreless game, with one out in the fourth and was replaced by senior pitcher Ashley Chapman (2-2), who continued to hold the Grizzlies at bay. Chapman would limit GGC to only one hit over the next 2 2/3 innings but would run into a jam in the bottom of the seventh. A one out walk would get things going for the Grizzles and two Chapman wild pitches would find the game tying run on third. GGC tied the game on a base hit but Chapman would collect the final two outs, sending the game into extras innings. After a scoreless seventh, Georgia Gwinnett, once again, kept TU off the board in the top of the eighth and won the game on a stolen base and a base hit. Chapman took the loss after allowing two earned runs on three hits over 3 2/3 innings of work.

TU will travel to Orange Beach, Ala., next weekend, for their annual participation in the Gulf Coast Invitational. The Lady Night Hawks will face Freed-Hardeman (3 p.m.) and Culver-Stockton (7 p.m.) on Friday. On day two, Thomas will face Middle Georgia State (11 a.m.) and Auburn-Montgomery (3 p.m.). Action, at the Gulf Coast Invite, will conclude on Sunday.

For up-to-date information on the upcoming season and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU softball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksSoftb.