The Seattle University softball team started its initial Division I season in winning fashion, defeating Illinois-Chicago, 2-1, at the Loyola Marymount Invitational at Smith Field, but the team’s hopes of a sweep were dashed when Cal State Bakersfield came back for an 8-7 victory Friday morning in the second game of the tournament.

Illinois-Chicago (1-4) scored a run in the top of the first inning, but Seattle University answered in the bottom of the first as Katie Antich (Spokane, Wash.) singled, advanced to second on a Megan MacIsaac (Santa Barbara, Calif.) walk, and scored when Lisa Hill (Tahuya, Wash.) singled down the right field line.

With two outs in the fifth inning, MacIsaac hit the team’s first homerun of the season to right-center field, giving SeattleU the lead for good. The Flames tried to rally with runners on first and second in the seventh inning, but freshman pitcher Hannah Klein (Camarillo, Calif.), making her first collegiate start, induced a popup and a strikeout to end the rally and the game.

Nobody earned more than one hit for either team, and no errors were committed in the game. Klein gave up four hits and five walks but also struck out five batters in picking up the victory, while Ashley Hewett gave up five hits and two walks while striking out six Redhawk batters.

Cal State Bakersfield (1-4) was down to its final out in the seventh inning when Antich dropped a fly ball hit by Jaimey Kleinsmith, allowing Chelsey Bell to score. Back-to-back singles by Kristen Archuleta and Sammy Rodriguez put runners on first and second for Danielle Lyman, whose homerun to left field allowed the Roadrunners to come away with the victory.

A homerun by Justeen Maeva in the first inning gave Cal State Bakersfield a 3-0 lead, but SeattleU chipped away, starting with a solo homerun by Hill in the second inning. In the third inning, Katie Petersen (Mission Viejo, Calif.) led off with a double and scored on Jessica Amador’s (Whittier, Calif.) single to bring the Redhawks within one at 3-2.

In the fourth inning, after Hill walked, Lauren Berin (Lacey, Wash.) hit a shot over the fence in right-center field to give SeattleU a 4-3 lead. The same exact sequence took place in the sixth inning, with Hill walking and Berin hitting another homerun. In the seventh inning, Katie Gould (Medford, Ore.) singled, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored on a single by Cassie Cueto (Benton City, Wash.) to give the Redhawks a 7-3 advantage.

Kelsey Reynolds (Kent, Wash.) suffered the loss, giving up 11 hits and two walks while striking out five Bakersfield batters. After Brittany Johnson pitched the first six innings, Shawna Truan came on in relief in the seventh and ended up with the victory after the Roadrunners’ comeback.

Weather and field conditions permitting, Seattle University (1-1) returns to action at the Loyola Marymount Invitational Saturday. The final two games scheduled for Friday have been postponed due to rain and have been pushed back to Saturday morning at 8 a.m. at the earliest. Therefore, the earliest Seattle University will begin competition against Loyola Marymount is 12 noon, followed by the rematch against Cal State Bakersfield.