KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The skies finally cleared and the fields finally dried after two days of rain as University of St. Francis completed its Spring Break softball trip to Florida with a split of two Saturday games. USF dropped its morning game against Rutgers-Newark (NJ), 4-3 in eight innings, and then came back to post an easy 8-1 win over Ashford (IA) in the afternoon.

The Saints (3-5) let leads of 1-0 and 2-1 get away in the first game and then lost it in the first extra inning when an attempt to squeeze home the tying run failed in the bottom of the eighth. Freshman pitcher Jordan Halata (Lockport H.S./Homer Glen, IL) worked 7-plus innings and held Rutgers-Newark (1-0) to just 4 hits. The Saints left eight runners on base in the game. Senior center fielder Kendel Behrens (Morris H.S./Morris, IL) and junior infielder Caitlin Dolan (Lincoln-Way East H.S./Frankfort, IL) each had a pair of hits for USF.

Sophomore right-hander Jackie Frey (Plainfield South H.S./Plainfield, IL) allowed just one Ashford (0-1) hit in 6.2 innings to lead the Saints to the 8-1 win in the finale. Frey walked just one batter and struck out a pair in evening her record at 1-1.

USF collected 10 hits in the nightcap, with Dolan and freshman catcher Kaitlin Nolan (Wilmington H.S./Wilmington, IL) each leading the way with two safeties apiece. Dolan also added a sacrifice fly. Nolan notched her first career RBI with a 2-run single in the fourth. Junior infielder Lauren Panek (Lemont H.S./Lemont, IL) drove in a pair of runs with a sixth-inning double. USF also got RBI from senior right fielder Caitlin Griffin (Andrew H.S./Tinley Park, IL), senior catcher Stacy Heap (Minooka H.S./Minooka, IL) on a squeeze bunt and junior catcher C.J. Rupsis (Bolingbrook H.S./Bolingbrook, IL).

USF completed its trip with a 3-5 record, with four games (two on Thursday and two on Friday) being washed out by rain. Three of the five setbacks came by just a single run and two of those went extra innings.

The Saints travel to Marion, Ind., next weekend to play four games in a tournament hosted by Indiana Wesleyan on Friday and Saturday.