COLUMBIA, Ky. - Junior Shania Domingue provided the only offense for USCB softball on Tuesday, as the Sand Sharks fell to St. Xavier, 5-2, in an elimination game in the opening round of the NAIA Championship at Marilyn D. Sparks Park.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Domingue - 1-for-4, two-run home run

Kayla Boyle - 1-for-3, one run, double

Canyon Crosby - 1-for-3, double

Kaitlyn O'Hearn - 1-for-2, one walk

Rachel Frankhouser - two walks

Abby Pac - 5.2 innings, two runs, six strikeouts

HOW IT HAPPENED

Pac set the Cougar lineup down in order to start the game, as she recorded a 1-2-3 frame.

Boyle tried to mount a one-out rally in the bottom of the first, as she connected with a ringing double. That was as far as the senior would go, as she was left on second.

St. Xavier threatened in the top of the second with two hits behind a leadoff double from Taylor Sterkowitz. After two straight outs, Nicole O'Donnell put two runners on base, but Pac struck out Tori Keilman for the third and final out.

USCB had momentum in the bottom of the second, as O'Hearn and Natassja Hatcher started the frame with back-to-back walks. St. Xavier was able to sneak out of the situation unscathed with a pair of groundouts and a tag out.

After Pac delivered another 1-2-3 inning, USCB opened the scoring in the home half of the third. Boyle worked the two-out rally with a hit by pitch, and on an 0-1 count, Domingue smashed a no-doubt blast over the left field fence to give the Sand Sharks the 2-0 advantage.

Following a quiet fourth inning, SXU had a chance to cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth. The Cougars were able to put two runners on base, but Pac, again, worked out of the jam via a pop out and a line out.

St. Xavier was able to knot the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth, as it connected with four hits in the frame. Tori Williams and O'Donnell had the run-scoring hits for the Cougars.

USCB tried to retaliate in the bottom of the sixth but left a trio of Sand Sharks stranded. Crosby drilled a one-out double to put a runner in scoring position. After Caroline Heaton came on to pinch run, O'Hearn tallied a single through the left side to put runners at the corners. Kaila Billingsley came in to pinch run and swiped second to put two Sand Sharks in scoring position. Frankhouser was able to draw a walk with two outs, but St. Xavier forced the final Sand Shark to fly out to leave all three runners on base.

The Cougar offense sent eight players up to bat in the top of the seventh, and four of them connected with hits that resulted in three runs. The three-run inning for the Cougars gave them the 5-2 lead.

The Sand Sharks tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't in the three-run defeat.

RECORDS UPDATE

USCB - 40-13

St. Xavier - 32-11