TULSA, Okla. – The Lamar University softball team dropped a pair of games on the first day of the Tulsa Invitational on Saturday, falling to the Iowa Hawkeyes 4-3 and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 14-2.
 
In the opener, Iowa rallied from a 3-0 deficit for the win, handing LU (10-6) its third straight walk-off loss. In the second game, Tulsa struck for seven runs in the bottom of the first inning en route to a win in a game that was called after 4½ innings due to the run rule.
 
The Cardinals outhit Iowa 8-4, but two costly errors led to all four of Iowa's runs being unearned. LU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Maddy Myers' bunt single scored Kelly Meeuwsen. The Cardinals added to their lead with two runs in the top of the fifth on singles by Sable Hankins and Kelly Meeuwsen before Iowa scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning off of LU starter Laura Napoli.
 
Dannelley got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth before giving way to Lauren Dannelley in the seventh. Iowa led off the bottom of the seventh when Claire Fritsch reached on an error and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Sammy Gyerman.
 
Napoli, who did not factor in the decision, allowed for hits and three unearned runs over six innings, walking four and striking out three. Dannelley (1-2) took the loss, allowing no hits and one unearned run over 2/3 of an inning.

"We outplayed Iowa on the field and on the scoreboard," LU coacgh Holly Bruder said. "It's hard to lose three straight games like that."
 
Hankins, Myers and Kelly Meeuwsen had two hits apiece for LU, which stranded five runners.
 
Against Tulsa, Ashley McDowell drove in both of LU's runs. McDowell hit a solo home run in the third inning and plated Brittany Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. McDowell's home run was the 18^th of her career, putting her one behind Casey Cromwell's school record of 19.
 
Rodriguez had hits in both games to extend her hitting streak to 12 games. She has reached base safely in all 16 games this season. Her hitting streak is two shy of the school record of 14 set by Stephanie Meeuwsen last season.
 
LU starter Ciara Luna (5-2) took the loss, allowing seven hits and seven runs, four earned in one inning. Luna was called for three illegal pitches in that inning, something Bruder was not happy with.

"The umpire took us completely out of the game," Bruder said. "These first four weeks are about learning and growing, and it's been a challenge these last four games. But this team will continue to work and learn from this."

Dannelley and Julia Voluntad pitched in relief for the Cardinals. Shelby Estocado had three hits for Tulsa (13-4).
 
The Cardinals look to snap their four-game skid when they play two games Sunday. LU faces Tulsa at noon and Iowa at 2 p.m.