MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Lafayette opened its spring break swing with 8-0 and 6-4 losses to Iona and LIU, respectively, on Friday afternoon, part of a five-day swing in Florida.
 
Iona struck for five runs in the top of the first inning, batting around the order. All of the Gaels' runs came with two outs in the inning. Jamie Sheeran got a ball in the air that carried out of the park for the 1-0 lead. Iona added four more runs via a pair of singles and a double (on a ball that was lost in the sun) to lead 5-0.
 
The Leopards drew lead-off walks in each of the first three innings, but could not capitalize. They managed their first hit in the top of the fifth, when Bailey Langford went the opposite way and put a ball down the left field line. Erica Brasher followed with a one-out walk to put two runners on. That was as far as the inning would go, as Iona starter Kara Zazzaro got a pop up and a flyout to end the inning.
 
Zazzaro finished with 13 strikeouts, allowing two hits over seven frames. Leopard starter Morrigan Gardiner took the loss, giving up five runs on seven hits over three innings. Jacqueline Cal pitched the final four innings and surrendered three runs (two earned) on six hits.
 
Game two was a back-and-forth affair, that was decided by a three-run fifth inning for LIU which claimed a 6-4 final.
 
Harlie Bickett led off the nightcap by being hit by a pitch. Two wild pitches and a groundout later, she scored for the 1-0 advantage.
 
LIU tied the game in the bottom of the frame, set up by a one-out triple, and then took the lead in the second inning when Mari Narvaiz hit a solo home run.
 
The Leopards answered in the third inning. Bickett double and later scored on Paige Sandidge's single to knot the game at 2-2.
 
Lafayette re-took the lead in the fourth when Kristen Brown singled to left field, plating Kylee Sweet for the 3-2 lead.
 
The back-and-forth action continued in the bottom of the fourth. LIU pushed across three runs, with Devon Medina accounting for two on a run-scoring double. The Sharks led 5-3.
 
The teams traded runs in the sixth. Sweet scored from second on a throwing error when LIU tried to turn a double play.
 
Trailing 6-4, the Maroon and White sent the top of the order to the plate in the seventh, but LIU reliever Lindsay Cowans retired the Leopards in order to garner a save.
 
Kailee Sawai threw all six innings in the circle for Lafayette, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits.
 
The Leopards will be back at it with a single game vs. Princeton on Saturday at 2 p.m.