PEORIA, Ill. – The Elmhurst University softball team dropped both of its season-opening contests at the MMU Collegiate Slugger Series in Peoria.
 
Playing its first games in nearly two years after missing all of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bluejays fell 3-0 to the University of Dubuque in their opener before falling 8-2 to Wisconsin Lutheran College.
 
DUBUQUE 3, ELMHURST 0 – Dubuque broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to hand Elmhurst a 3-0 loss in the Bluejays' season-opening game.
 
Elmhurst was limited to only four hits and struggled to come up with timely hits, stranding eight runners on base for the game. The Bluejays' best scoring chance came in the third inning when the team loaded the bases with just one out. A fielder's choice grounder and a strikeout ended the Bluejays' scoring threat.
 
Dubuque broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth with a Deanna Origer RBI single. An Elmhurst error allowed a run to score and Rachel Trader's sacrifice fly gave the Spartans their final run of the inning.
 
Sydni Gizynski suffered the loss despite pitching well. Gizynski tossed six complete innings, allowing just four hits and two earned runs. She walked one and struck out while slipping to 0-1 on the year. Lexi Schmidt picked up the win for Dubuque, limiting Elmhurst to only four hits while pitching a complete game shutout. She walked two and struck out four.
 
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN 8, ELMHURST 2 – Elmhurst slipped to 0-2 on the day after dropping an 8-1 contest to Wisconsin Lutheran College.

The Warriors started the scoring in the second inning when Avery Blauvelt cracked a two-run homer. Wisconsin Lutheran added two runs in the top of the fourth before Elmhurst jumped on the scoreboard.
 
Amaya Chavez drove in the Bluejays' first run of the season with an RBI single up the middle. The Warriors added a run in the fifth and scored three more in the seventh, with two runs coming on a Maddy Chestolowski two-run homer, to open an 8-1 lead.
 
Elmhurst loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but settled for just one run on a Jenna Hicks sacrifice fly to make the final score 8-2.
 
Mia Tran collected two of Elmhurst's six hits in the loss.
 
Brianna Pisauro made the start from the circle and took the loss. Pisauro surrendered seven hits and three earned runs in six innings of work. She walked one and fanned three.
 
Elmhurst plays a doubleheader at Lake Forest College next Friday, March 12.