COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Lafayette softball team kicked off the second day of the University of Maryland Tournament with a 4-2 loss to Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday morning.
 
Six different players contributed hits for the Leopards, with two apiece from sophomore Grace Hausamann and junior Maggie Klug.
 
When the game opened, the Leopards' offense was ready to go. Junior Mary Grace O'Neill started things with a single before propeling herself into scoring position with her team-leading 13^th stolen base.  With two outs in the inning, sophomore Megan Coyle delivered an RBI-single to score O'Neill for the early 1-0 lead.
 
The Mastodons tied the game in the top of the second inning, loading the bases with one out. Kennedy Peckinpaugh's sac fly knotted the game at 1-1.  PFW then took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning, scoring on an error that preceded a Peckinpaugh RBI-single off Leopard starter Jacqueline Cal.
 
As the game moved to the bottom of the fifth frame, the Leopards cut into the deficit. Hausamann's infield single on a 1-2 pitch scored classmate Kylee Sweet, as Lafayette moved within 3-2.
 
That was as close as Lafayette would come. The Maroon and White lineup was retired in order in the sixth and seventh in the 4-2 final.
 
Cal threw 6.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits. Rookie Parker Rowden tossed the final two-thirds of an inning. For PFW, Gracie Brinkerhoff gave up two runs on eight hits over five innings before giving way to Alanah Jones who struck out four and did not surrender a hit in two innings.
 
Lafayette plays its second game of the day at 3:30 p.m. vs. Fairfield.