SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The College of Saint Mary softball team suffered two losses Saturday at the Dordt Invitational Dome Tournament.

The Flames lost the first game 14-7 to Avila University and then was beat 3-2 by Waldorf University in the second game.

"We're making improvements in some areas and seeing some good things," CSM Coach Carolyn Todd Bray said. "But we still have plenty of work to do.

"When we set our game schedule for this season we broke it into four parts – the nine indoor games, the nine games on our training trip in Arizona, the conference season and then the postseason. I'm not going to say we didn't care about winning these nine indoor games, but we put a stronger emphasis on making improvements, moving people around and trying to figure out what we have with this team. We're young and inexperienced. I feel that we are better than we were nine games ago, but now we need to step up and play like it."

The Flames drop to 2-7 on the season.

In the first game, the Flames gave up two runs in the first inning, but then rallied for six runs in the bottom of the third. Avila chipped away for three in the fourth and four in the fifth. CSM added one run in the bottom of the fifth before Avila scored five in the sixth to clinch the win.

Avila had 14 hits, while the Flames had six. Both teams committed three errors.

Izzy Monzon (SR/Lincoln, Neb.) and Kaela Persico (FR/Bellevue, Neb.) led CSM with two hits each, while Megan Garcia (SO/Elkhorn, Neb.) and Sydney Griffin (SO/Lincoln, Neb.) each added one. Monzon and Griffin had doubles.

Garcia started on the mound and tossed 3 1/3. She gave up five hits, walked six and fanned one. Daisy Lowther (FR/Bennington, Neb.) suffered the loss. She threw 2 1/3, allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out one. Kymber Shallenberger (SO/Scottsbluff, Neb.) pitched the final 1 1/3, gave up two hits, struck out two and walked none.

"We had a little trouble with walks this game – especially some leadoff walks," Bray said. "But I thought all three pitchers battled and I was pleased with Kymber's performance."

The second game was a close one and was scoreless through four innings.

CSM struck first with a run in the top of the fifth, but Waldorf answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame. The Flames managed another run in the sixth, but came up empty in the seventh.

Waldorf had 10 hits, while the Flames had nine.

Garcia, Lowther and Mack Madrigal (SO/Omaha, Neb.) paced CSM with two hits each, while Monzon, Macy Homes (SR/Wahoo, Neb.) and Savannah Schewe (JR/Elkhorn, Neb.) had one apiece. Lowther, Schewe and Madrigal all belted doubles.

"We made some improvements defensively in that game," Bray said. "But didn't string as many hits together to score runs. We need to continue working on all three areas of the game – pitching, hitting and defense."

Garcia suffered the loss. She surrendered eight hits, walked one and struck out two in 4 2/3 innings. Lowther came on in relief and gave up two hits and walked one in 1 1/3.

The Flames travel to Arizona for the Tucson Invitational Games next week.

"It'll be good to get outside and get some much-needed experience on dirt," Bray said. "We need to keep learning and keep making improvements. The most important thing is that we are playing our best softball by the time we get to conference games."