STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – Franciscan women's softball started to find their bats in the second game of a difficult doubleheader against Waynesburg University, losing 14-1 and 18-4.

Slow starts continued to plague the Lady Barons, especially on defense. FUS gave up 10 runs in the first inning of game one and gave up 14 runs in the first two innings of game two.  While the team settled down after that point in both games, both deficits were too large to overcome.

"We're still struggling getting through the first and second innings but after we get through those innings, we seem to play teams relatively competitively," head coach Jim Walker said.

Senior captain Hailey Wesselman did a little bit of everything in the doubleheader. She pitched the entire first game and played catcher in game two. While Walker said he was pleased with how hard Wesselman battled at both of those positions, it was her hitting that stood out the most. She finished the two games 4-5 at the plate with three doubles, two RBIs, and one run.

Wesselman's effort was just part of a game two that saw Franciscan's hitting dramatically improve. The Lady Barons got out to a three-run lead in the top of the first inning and then scored another run in the second.

"In the second game, we actually hit the ball pretty well," Walker said. "We strung together a few hits in that first inning but just couldn't answer that defensively."

The improved hitting didn't just come from Wesselman but also from some of the team's less experienced softball players.

Sophomore Iliana Gonzales finished the day with three hits while freshman Shannon Sommers went 3-3 from the plate with a double in the second game.

"That's big when you start extending the lineup with three and four more hitters," Walker said. "I think they're just starting to get used to college pitching, which makes a big difference."

Another difference for Walker's squad was a change in batting order, moving freshman Lindsay Finch, the team's top hitter, from lead-off to the no. 2 spot with Wesselman following her as the no. 3 hitter. That combination played a role in all of the team's runs and also allowed freshman Cecilia Lademan to take the lead-off role where she got on base consistently.

"That definitely helped. We decided that we wanted to get Cecilia in the top of the order because she has been doing a pretty good job of getting on base," Walker said. "She got on base a couple of times today. They were off of errors on the other team but her speed puts so much pressure on the other team."

With a hitting lineup that is starting to produce runs, the Lady Barons will look to shore up their defense against St. Vincent College at home on March 21 at 1 and 3 pm.