JOLIET - A four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted University of St. Francis to a 7-5 victory over Iowa Wesleyan College and a split of the Saints' first two games in this weekend's five-team USF Spring Fling at the Inwood Softball Complex.

USF began play Friday afternoon with a 10-2, 5-inning loss to Indiana Wesleyan University but the Saints bounced back in the day's final game to snap their three-game losing streak with a 7-run, 9-hit attack.

USF came from behind twice in the Iowa Wesleyan game. The visiting Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning before the Saints scored three times in the third inning with a run-scoring single from junior right fielder Kaylee Shell (Wilmington H.S./Wilmington, IL) and a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by senior second baseman Beth Boezeman (Lincoln-Way East H.S./Frankfort, IL) being the key plays.

Iowa Wesleyan regained the edge with a four-run fourth that included a 2-out, 3-run home run.

The Saints' winning rally in the fifth was highlighted by a run-scoring single by senior center fielder Kendel Behrens (Morris H.S./Morris, IL) and a 2-run single by Boezeman. Junior shortstop Caitlin Dolan (Lincoln-Way East H.S./Frankfort, IL) capped off the rally with an RBI single to push the lead to 7-5.

Junior right-hander Kim Malacina (Lockport H.S./Homer Glen, IL) earned the win in relief of freshman righty Jordan Halata (Lockport H.S./Homer Glen, IL). Malacina allowed just one hit and no runs in 3.1 innings pitched and struck out four.

The Saints managed just 5 hits in the afternoon loss to Indiana Wesleyan. Behrens led off the game with a double and scored to give USF an early 1-0 lead.

IWU put together a 3-run first and a 5-run second inning to take control of the contest. The Saints got their second run in the fourth when Shell tripled and scored on a double by junior first baseman Lauren Panek (Lemont H.S./Lemont, IL).

The split leaves USF at 7-13. 

Day two of the Spring Fling is set for Saturday with the Saints scheduled to play University of Saint Francis (Ind.) at 1:30 p.m. and Goshen College (Ind.) at 5 p.m.

Indiana Wesleyan stands 2-0 after day one which included a stirring 14-13, 9-inning win over Saint Francis (Ind.) in the day's first game. USF scored six times in the top of the ninth only to see IWU rally for seven runs of its own in the bottom of the inning.

Saint Francis evened its mark at 1-1 with a 7-1 win over Goshen. Iowa Wesleyan is also 1-1 after one day of play as the Tigers won their first game of the day by a 9-1 score over Goshen, the only winless team on Friday.