STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – The Franciscan University softball team was looking to notch its first win of 2012 on Sunday against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Despite holding early leads in both games, the Lady Barons dropped the leads for a 6-1 and 13-4 doubleheader loss.

"I am encouraged," said head coach Terry Leighty. "I thought that first game was the best game of the year for us."

The Lady Barons were facing whom Leighty called "one of the best pitchers in our conference," but jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Katrina Fabian hit a towering homerun to left-centerfield with two outs in the bottom of the second. The homer was the first of Fabian's collegiate career.

The real improvement was seen on Franciscan's defense, surrendering only three errors and converting on numerous difficult defensive plays. One of those, a two-out diving catch on a pop-up behind the plate snatched by prostrated catcher Daniella Pillar, helped preserve the early lead. 

"We keep preaching to play solid defense," noted Leighty, "and the girls are starting to realize that when you play defense, it keeps you in the game. That's what happened for us in the first game, our defense kept us in it."

Bradford's bats came alive in the final three innings, however, notching three runs in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh, to seal the 6-1 victory.  

In the second game, despite the 13-4 finish, there were some bright spots for Franciscan. Freshman Mallori Linscomb went 3-3 at the plate with two doubles, a single, three runs batted in and a run scored. Linscomb's RBI double in the first inning gave Franciscan a 2-1 lead. Rose Cassidy was 2-3 with two runs and a stolen base.

"Mallori  [Linscomb] is going to be a good player," Leighty said. "She hasn't played in two or three years, so it has taken her a little while to get going, and it was good to see her and some of the other girls get out of their offensive slumps."

Leighty also mentioned how impressed he was with the play of pitcher Amelia Gallagher, who threw two complete games after being sidelined for two weeks due to injury.

"I give a lot of credit to Amelia," he said. "She pitched her heart out." 

The Lady Barons will try again to notch their first win of the 2012 when they travel to Penn State Altoona on Tuesday, April 3. The doubleheader is set for 3 and 5 p.m.