Griffins handed first SLIAC tournament loss since 2010

Elsah, Ill. - Fontbonne softball took a heavy loss tonight in the opening round of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. The No. 1-seeded Griffins fell to the No. 4-seeded Greenville College Panthers 8-3. It's the Griffin's first SLIAC tournament loss since 2010 and first tournament-opening loss since 2009. Fontbonne will try to avoid elimination Friday, May 6 when they play Eureka College at 1 p.m. The loser's season will be over and the winner till play at 5 p.m. that evening.

Greenville scored three runs in the first inning after a single scored one and a Griffin fielding error allowed the other two to cross the plate. Fontbonne answered on a Sam Brown two-run home run in the bottom of the third to pull within one.

Greenville scored on a bases-loaded passed ball to lead 4-2 in the fourth and a solo homer in the fifth gave them a three-run advantage. After two singles to start the bottom half of the sixth, Fontbonne catcher Emily Smith doubled to bring in the Griffins' final run of the game. Greenville added three insurance runs in the seventh on a dinger.

Griffin senior pitcher Madi Leonard is now 6-1 in SLIAC tournament play. The veteran struck out eight Panthers in the contest while the Griffins only achieved five hits.

After the game the SLIAC announced the All-Conference award winners. Those can be found here.