TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Marian University softball team opened the Tuscon Invitational Games with a doubleheader against the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets and the Central College Dutch.

The Sabres ended up splitting the pair of games to start their spring trip at 1-1.

Emily Gorges was lights out for the Sabres (2-4) on the mound against the Yellow Jackets (5-7). She pitched five innings of four-hit ball, while allowing only one earned run. She also came away with six strikeouts on the day. With the win she improved to 2-1 on the season.

The Sabres did their damage in the third inning. With one out and runners on second and third, Tana VandenHeuvel put the Sabres on the board with an RBI single up the middle. An error by the Yellow Jackets led to two more Sabre runs as they left the inning up 3-0.

The Yellow Jackets cut the lead to two in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single by their shortstop Nicole Fletterick, but they were unable to slow down the Marian lineup.

It was an explosive fifth inning for the Sabres.

The team scored seven runs on eight hits with RBIs by six different players to extend their lead to nine.

The Yellow Jackets were able to tack on one run in the bottom of the fifth, but the game was called due to the five-inning, eight-run mercy rule.

It was a different story for the Sabres in game two, as Central's bats lit up the score board to hand the Sabres a 12-0 upset.

The Sabres have two games again tomorrow as they continue their spring trip, starting with Alfred College at 3:30 pm CT and then against Crown College at 5:30.