ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. | The Tuskegee University softball team had their chances in both games on Sunday at the Flagler Invitational to record their first victory of the season, but came up short in game to Newberry (4-2) and in game two to Eckerd (7-4) to close out play for the weekend.
 
After Newberry scored first in the opener, the Lady Golden Tigers answered with two of their own in the third to take the lead at 2-1. Karisa Foye drove in the first run of the game for Tuskegee with a single to right that scored Chante Warner. After Sharde Thomas advanced to third on the single by Foye, she scored on a double to left by Kaylin Finch for the one-run lead.
 
The game stayed that way until the sixth when Newberry added three runs for the final margin.
 
Finch and Warner both collected a pair of hits in the opener for the Lady Golden Tigers, who collected eight hits as a team and outhit Newberry.
 
Toni Beth Garner (0-5) suffered the loss with two innings of relief work in which she allowed three runs (one earned) off of one hit. Meanwhile, starter Acey Spence worked four innings and allowed just one unearned run off of four hits.
 
In the day's second game, Tuskegee jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning when Foye singled home Cari Driver and Finch singled in Thomas. The lead stayed that way until Eckerd added a single run in the third.
 
Tuskegee (0-15) would take a 4-1 lead in the fourth when Roneshia Rudolph scored on a wild pitch and Adrienne Eaddy scored on a Jayla Berger-Gibson groundout. However, Eckerd added four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and a single run in the fifth for the win.
 
Thomas finished the second game 3-for-4, while Finch picked up a pair of hits for Tuskegee – who finished with 10 hits as a team.
 
Finch (0-4) suffered the loss, working a complete game and striking out three.
 
Tuskegee is off until Sunday when they face Flagler in the team's first home game this season. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 1 pm on the Tuskegee University campus.
 
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