FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- A wild day for the Indiana Wesleyan University softball team opened with a whimper as University of Saint Francis (Ind.) won both ends of the doubleheader on Friday afternoon in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Saint Francis won both games by two runs with a 5-3 victory in game one and then won 7-5 in the second game. But the day is not yet over for Indiana Wesleyan. The team immediately got on the bus after the doubleheader in Fort Wayne to travel an hour west to Winona Lake where the team will play later tonight in the NCCAA Midwest Regional Tournament.

In the opening game Indiana Wesleyan got off to a quick start with a two run first inning. Marissa French ripped a double to score Katie Smith and Bryttany Van Vliet followed with an RBI single to score French.

Saint Francis tied the game in the bottom of the third with two runs off Indiana Wesleyan starting pitcher Gabby McIntire. USF then took the lead in the fourth with one run and added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth for a 5-2 advantage.

Allison Bexell connected on a two out RBI single in the top of the sixth to score Jessica Hull. The run closed the deficit to 5-3. But Indiana Wesleyan was sent down in order in the seventh for the loss.

McIntire allowed five runs on 11 hits in 6.0 innings of work. She walked one and struck out four. French and Bexell each had two hits in the game to account for four of the Wildcats’ six hits while Gabby Bogear walked twice.

In game two it was Saint Francis who claimed an early lead with a single run in the first inning. Indiana Wesleyan tied it in the next half inning when Bogear hit a sac fly to left field to chase home Van Vliet. But Saint Francis regained the lead in the bottom of the second with one run for the 2-1 advantage.

Neither team scored again until the Cougars put up a three spot in the fifth inning for a 5-1 lead. The Wildcats were able to get two runs back in the top of the sixth courtesy of three hits. French led the inning off with a single and Van Vliet came up next and crushed a 2-run home run for a 5-3 score.

Indiana Wesleyan gave back both of those runs in the home half of the sixth as Saint Francis reclaimed their four run lead at 7-3. Sam Hemming led off the final inning with a home run to close the deficit to 7-4. A new USF pitcher retired the next two batters before French doubled and Van Vliet followed with an RBI single. IWU trailed 7-5 with the tying run at the plate as Bexell stepped to the plate. She lined out to center field to end the game.

Tanna Hinthorne allowed seven runs -- six earned -- in 6.0 innings of work. Van Vliet had a big day at the plate as she was 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored. Bexell also pumped out three hits while French was 2-for-4 as Indiana Wesleyan outhit Saint Francis 12-9.