FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Curry College softball team dropped a pair of games at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic on Tuesday morning, falling short of a comeback against Blackburn College, 8-4 before suffering a 9-1 setback in five innings to Nazareth.

After a scoreless first frame, the Beavers put seven runs on the board in the top of the second. Three straight RBI singles, one of which drove in two broke the game open for Blackburn. Baylee Hughes (Carlinville, Ill.) got things started with a base hit to center to plate Abby Frerichs (Litchfield, Ill.). Lexi Yockey (Pleasant Plains, Ill.) followed with the second straight hit to center to score Allison Howard (Winchester, Ill.). Three more singles plated runs in the inning and Bobbi Morris (Westville, Ill.) closed the scoring when she crossed home on a wild pitch to go up by the 7-0 score.

Curry answered back with a runs in three straight innings, starting in the bottom of the second. Carolyn Lynch (Ipswich, Mass.) singled to left to score Kiana Lloyd (Worcester, Mass.). Freshman Jordan Perzan (Burlington, Conn.) connected on her first career home run in the bottom of the third and then followed with a two-run shot in the fourth to cut the deficit to three, 7-4. The Beavers had an answer in the seventh when they added an insurance tally on a solo home run from Hannah Goett (Springfield, Ill.) to double up Curry for the 8-4 final.

Halle Fransen (Pearl City, Ill.) scattered seven hits over four innings of work to earn her third win of the season. She allowed four runs (all earned) and struck out three while walking two.

Against Nazareth, Curry fell behind 8-0 after the first two innings. The Colonels got a run back in the top of the fifth as Perzan continued her strong day with a single to plate Molly Horn (Buzzards Bay, Mass.). The run was not enough for Curry as the game ended after five innings, 9-1.

Curry will next play Thursday against Salem State and Knox College at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., respectively in Fort Myers.