OMAHA, Neb. -- The College of Saint Mary softball team put together two of their best pitching and defense games of the season but were unable to come up with timely hits in a double-header sweep by Mount Marty University in Great Plains Athletic Conference action on Saturday.

Mount Marty took the opener 3-1 before securing a 4-3 win in game two to improve to 17-17 overall and 8-6 in conference play. The Flames slide to 7-23 and 0-10 in GPAC action.

Reflecting on the Flames' performance, coach Carolyn Todd Bray said, "our defense and pitching were strong enough today for us to win both games. We just did not have much consistency at the plate and stranded a lot of runners. Our energy wasn't enough in the first game but the ladies responded and showed a lot of fight in the second game."

"We are frustrated with these losses but we don't have time to dwell on it. We've got four big conference road double-headers next week," coach Bray added looking ahead.

CSM travels to Seward, Neb. on Monday, Apr. 15 for a 5 p.m. GPAC double-header at Concordia University.

Game One: Mt. Marty 3, CSM 1

Shaylynn Campbell (4-11) held Mount Marty in check, allowing just three runs while scattering six hits in a complete game effort.

Reese Peterson staked the Lancers to a 1-0 lead with an RBI-single in the top of the first.

Janeah Castro doubled the lead with a solo home run leading off the third.

The Flames answered in the fifth with Ella Watts tripling home Macy Santoni to halve the Mt. Marty advantage with just one out. CSM threatened for more but were unable to come up with the big hit.

Castro restored the two-run advantage with a sac fly in the seventh to plate Raegan Harper for a 3-1 Lancer lead.

The Flames got back-to-back hits from Campbell and Santoni to lead off the seventh, prompting a pitching change. Madison Kovar got three quick outs to snuff out the CSM comeback bid.

McKenzie Gray (9-10) earned the win in the circle for the Lancers, allowing just an unearned run on five hits in six innings. She struck out eight before handing the ball over to Kovar who earned her second save of the year.

Watts and Santoni each finished 2-for-3 for the Flames in the ballgame.

Game Two: Mt. Marty 4, CSM 3

Savannah Schewe jump-started the Flames offense in the second game of the twin-bill with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first.

Starter Daisy Lowther did not allow an earned run in five innings of eight hit ball, though Mount Marty did tag her for three unearned runs in the fifth to snag a 3-2 lead.

After allowing a leadoff single in the fifth, Lowther was replaced by Shaylynn Campbell. Campbell worked around a two-out hit to escape danger.

Megan Garcia led off the bottom of the sixth with a base hit and advanced to second on Schewe's sac bunt. Sydney Griffin followed with an RBI-single to tie the game at 3-all. A two-out walk to Campbell saw the Flames again threaten but a fly ball ended the inning.

Janeah Castro ripped a solo home run leading off the seventh to put the Lancers back in front.

Kayla Reed produced a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh and stole second to put herself in scoring position but a ground ball and fly out ended the game with Reed stranded just 60 feet from home.

Garcia and Ella Watts each had multi-hit games for CSM in the loss.

Jacey Hayen (1-0) worked the sixth inning to earn the win before handing the ball back to Makayla Graunke who picked up the save with a scoreless seventh. Graunke finished the game allowing two runs on five hits over six innings.

Campbell (4-12) allowed a run on three hits in two innings of relief in the loss.