Dickinson dropped three of its four conference games over the past weekend. On Friday, April 20, the Devils lost both in a doubleheader at Ursinus before splitting the next day’s doubleheader at Franklin & Marshall. Dickinson lost to Ursinus by scores of 4-0 and 10-3; the team beat F&M 3-0 and lost 3-2.

The Dickinson offense struggled to string hits together in the opener at Ursinus. While the Devils did finish with six hits, they did not have more than one in any inning except the seventh- where they threatened to stage a comeback in their last at-bat. Denise Haines ’13 led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on an error by the right-fielder. Following two quick outs that stranded Haines on second, Melissa Osborn ’13 singled to put runners on the corners and the tying run on deck, but Ursinus recorded a strike out to end the game. Chelsea Homa ’14 pitched the whole game for the Red Devils, scattering seven hits and striking out five. Ursinus scored 2 in both the fifth and seventh innings en route to the 4-0 win. Dickinson rested Homa, the team’s ace pitcher, in the second game and lost 10-3. Katri Thiele ’15 and Clara Ann Joyce ’14 split the game from the circle. The Red Devils scored the game’s first run when Erin Owens ’15, the third batter of the game, doubled in leadoff batter Katie Swade ’15. Ursinus scored 2 in each of the first 2 innings and went up 5-1 when they tacked on another run in the third.

Dickinson closed the gap and scored 2 on a Megan O’Neill two-run home run in the top of the fourth to make it 5-3, but Ursinus answered in the bottom half of the inning by putting up a 5-spot to take a 10-3 lead. Jordan and Osborn each recorded two hits.

Homa was back at it in Saturday’s opener against F&M and led her team to a 3-0 win. Homa pitched brilliantly, striking out nine, walking none, and allowing only five hits. Catcher Carly Jordan ’13 hit a two-run home run in the third inning to give Dickinson a 2-0 lead. Erin Owens hit a sacrifice fly to center-field to drive in Katie Swade for the game’s third and final run. Both Swade and Jordan finished with two hits.

Unlike the second game on Friday, Dickinson sent Homa back out to pitch in game two. She allowed only three hits but a costly error led to F&M’s third and deciding run in the bottom of the sixth. F&M had all of their hits in one inning, the third, when they scored their first two runs. Swade, the conference leader in walks, again made things happen on the base-paths and scored from third on a wild pitch to make the score 2-1 in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Dickinson took advantage of two F&M errors and pushed across another run to tie the score.

The Red Devils conclude their season on Sunday with a non-conference doubleheader at Albright. “Although we didn’t experience the success we have in years past, this season was a necessary building season,” said Madison Gerish ’12. “With more time to grow, this team has a lot of potential.” They are currently 11-25 and finished Centennial Conference play at 7-9, good for seventh-best in the conference.