STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Lafayette opened the 2024 softball season by seeing two newcomers to the program, junior transfer Mary Grace O'Neill and freshman Regan Dillon, each connect for three hits in a back-and-forth 12-6 loss to Mississippi Valley State on Friday morning.
 
In their first game of the day, the Leopards led early on. Paige Sandidge singled home a run to knot the game at 1-1 before Kylee Sweet came home on an error to push Lafayette ahead 2-1 after one inning. The Leopards extended the margin to 4-1 after three innings. Rookie Katie Harrington ripped a double into the gap to score Maggie Klug and Dillon (single).
 
MVSU pushed across five runs in the fourth inning, primarily on bases-clearing double by Ashantia Stephens off Lafayette starter Jacqueline Cal. The visitors led 6-4.
 
Lafayette tied the game in the bottom half off the fourth, scoring two more runs. O'Neill legged out a lead-off triple and scored on a Sweet sac fly. Sophomore Marisa Powell, who doubled, later scored on a wild pitch.
 
MVSU broke open the game with six runs in the final two innings to push the final to 12-6.  
 
Cal and Kailee Sawai split the work in the circle with Cal allowing six runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts. Sawai struck out three while giving up six runs on four hits in the loss.

The Leopards will play their second game of the day at 3 p.m. ET vs. Tarleton State.