CLERMONT, Fla.: Friday marked the final day of spring trip competition for the Yellowjacket softball team, and unfortunately they weren't able to get back to their winning ways, as they closed the trip with a pair of close losses.

Tufts 6, Yellowjackets 2

The Yellowjackets gave an unbeaten Tufts team all it could handle in the early going Friday, as the teams played scoreless through the first two and a half innings. In the bottom of the third the Jumbos broke the tie, plating three runs to move ahead. The big hit of the inning was a two-run double with one out by Casey Maggiore.

In the top of the fifth inning the Yellowjackets got one of those runs back. Alayna Tulip (Arcadia, Wis./Arcadia) reached on an error, was sacrificed to second and then went to third on a wild pitch. She scored the first run of the day for the Yellowjackets when Emily Carpenter (St. Peter, Minn./St. Peter) stroked a solid single to left field to make it 3-1.

Tufts answered in the bottom of the inning, getting that run back and then some as they put up their second three-run inning of the game, and again an extra-base hit did the damage. This time it was a two-run double to left field by Alexis Aloubafia, and when the 'Jackets recorded the final out they found themselves down 6-1.

In the sixth it looked like the Yellowjacket offense was coming to life. With one out Ashley Taipale (Duluth, Minn./Denfield) singled to left and Gabby Gidley (Superior, Wis./Superior) followed with an infield single of her own. An error loaded the bases and Tulip made the Jumbos pay, singling to left field to make it 6-2. The Yellowjackets still had the bases loaded with one out, but the rally was snuffed out when the next two hitters went down in order.

Neither team was able to put many balls in play, as the two teams combined for just 10 hits.

Ashley Taipale (Duluth, Minn./Denfield) got the start for the Yellowjackets and went the distance, allowing six runs (four earned) in six innings. She didn't walk a hitter and struck out six.

Framingham State 6, Yellowjackets 2

In the Florida finale, the Yellowjackets were bitten by the same bug that has plagued them throughout the trip - they fell behind early and were unable to generate enough offense to climb back into the game.

Framingham State out of Massachusetts was the Yellowjacket opponent in the last game, and the Rams wasted little time jumping on the Yellowjackets, as they manufactured a run with two outs in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. They increased the lead in the top of the second when Camille Desrochers doubled down the left field line to score a pair and make it a 3-0 game. With two outs in the third inning the Rams added another run to make it 4-0 and chase Yellowjacket starter Damara Theis (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee) from the game. Taipale came on in relief and recorded the final out of the inning.

Tulip led off the bottom of the third inning with a double and came around to score the first run of the game for the Yellowjackets on a double by Davriana Horvath (Esko, Minn./Esko) to pull the Yellowjackets to within 4-1.

In the top of the fourth inning Framingham answered when Grace Caughey homered to left field, hammering a two-run shot to put the Rams up 6-1.

The Yellowjackets closed out the scoring in the bottom of the fifth. Tiffany Kirk (McHenry, Ill./McHenry East) led off the inning with a walk, and Tulip followed with a walk to put two runners on. Following a Framingham pitching change Ashley Taipale (Duluth, Minn./Denfield) doubled to bring Kirk home and make it 6-2. The Yellowjackets had the makings of a solid rally, but the Rams shut it down and kept the damage to a minimum, preserving the score and the win.

Taipale had a big game at the plate with three hits in four at bats. The Yellowjackets had five hits in the game.

Theis got the start and lasted 2.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. She walked one and struck out one before giving way to Taipale, who allowed two runs on four hits the rest of the way. She walked one and struck out five.

Thursday's Action

In the first game Thursday Plattsburgh State out of New York jumped on the Yellowjackets, scoring seven times in the top of the first inning to take a commanding lead. They would lead 11-0 when the Yellowjackets came to bat in the bottom of the second, the inning when they would score both of their runs. Kirk singled to right center field, scoring Amber Yoch (North Branch, Minn./North Branch Area) and BobbiJean Miller. Plattsburgh would get a single run in the third and add four more in the fourth to defeat the Yellowjackets 16-2 in five innings.

The second game of the day pitted the Yellowjackets against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. MCLA would open the scoring in the top of the first on an inside-the-park home run, but the Yellowjackets would answer in the bottom of the inning when Kirk would score on a Horvath single. MCLA would plate four runs in the top of the second to take a 5-1 lead, but the Yellowjackets would chip away and pull themselves back to within a run, 5-4, after five innings. MCLA would hold on, however, setting the Yellowjackets down in order in the sixth and seventh innings to pick up the win. Theis would pitch a complete game and allow five runs (one earned) on 10 hits.