March 11, 2011 CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Quinnipiac University softball team (7-8) lost two games in the first day of the Under Armour Showcase at the University of South Florida, Friday, March 11. The Bobcats fell to the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, 7-2, and St. John's University, 4-3.

The Green Bay Phoenix defeated Quinnipiac in its first outing of the tournament, 7-2. UWGB took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Paige Newtols singled to right center, driving in an Amanda Omahen run. The Bobcats answered with a Christy Cabrera (Reno, Nev.) run in the bottom of the second as Ashley Heiberger (Sioux Falls, S.D.) picked up the Bobcats first RBI of the game.

With the score tied 1-1, the Phoenix's Reinke singled to right center, driving in Haley Andrews, allowing Green Bay to hold a one-run advantage in the fourth inning. The Bobcats' Jordan Paolucci (Lake Mary, Fla.) singled to center field, allowing Jacqueline Ristow (Seal Beach, Calif.) to score in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at two-runs apiece, forcing the game into extra innings. Quinnipiac was unable to answer Green Bay's five-run inning in the eighth.

Quinnipiac freshman Emily O'Keefe (Southington, Conn.) took the loss after pitching seven and 1/3 innings. Katie Alfiere (Beacon Falls, Conn.) closed the game in the seventh inning. Overall, the Bobcats' Cabrera and Ristow led the team, each with two hits and one run scored.

In the Bobcats' second game of the day, St. John's took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Quinnipiac tied the game at 1-1, as Ristow singled to left field, driving in Lauren Salgado (Covina, Calif.), in the fifth inning. St. John's added three runs in the sixth off of one hit and two Bobcat errors.

Quinnipiac scored two runs in the top of the seventh, but was unable to match St. John's four-run game. After Joelle Jacobsen (Flemington, N.J.) and Salgado each singled, they were able to advance on a wild pitch. Jacobsen went on to score on another Aleshia Link wild pitch, while Salgado scored on an Alex Alba (Sylmar, Calif.) single to right field.

Junior pitcher Heather Schwartzburg (Mission Viejo, Calif.) took the loss after pitching six innings for the Bobcats. Alba led the Bobcats as she went 2-4 against St. John's.

Quinnipiac returns to action when it plays two contests on Saturday, March 12, in day two of the Under Armour Showcase. The Bobcats will face Saint Joseph's at 10 a.m. and Ball State at 12:30 p.m.