TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Dickinson State softball team dropped its first game of the season to the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA on Sunday, but rebounded with a win later in the day.
Top-ranked Lubbock Christian used Rachel Clark's three-run homer in the third inning to get past the fifth-ranked Blue Hawks 4-2 at the Tucson Invitational.
DSU sophomore pitcher Sara Jane Webster threw eight strikeouts and a complete game despite returning from the hospital at 12:30 a.m. The All-American was fighting flu and heat exhaustion symptoms.
"She was not even close to being 100 percent," said DSU coach Guy Fridley, who arrived at the tournament in time for the games.
Fridley had missed DSU's first five games of the trip because he had been coaching the women's basketball team at the NAIA Division II national championships.
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The Blue Hawks got RBI singles from Kelly Jahn and Amanda Mickey to keep the game close, but left 11 runners on base.
"That's something we can't do against good teams like that," Fridley said.
In the late game Sunday, Nikki Marcoux drove in two runs as the Blue Hawks defeated York (Neb.) 6-4.
Mehgan Shaw took the win for DSU (6-1).
Lubbock Christian 4, Dickinson State 2
DSU 001 001 0 -- 2 7 0
LCU 103 000 x -- 4 6 1
Sara Jane Webster and Erika Arvizo. Guitierrez and Manblonds. W- Guitierrez. L-Webster (3-1). HR-LCU, Rachel Davis.
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Highlights: DSU, Kelly Jahn 1-for-4, RBI; Amanda Mickey 1-for-3, RBI; Arvizo 1-for-2, 2B; Webster CG, 6 H, 8 K, 2 BB.
Dickinson State 6, York (Neb.) 4
DSU 001 104 0 -- 6 9 2
York 030 010 0 -- 4 6 0
Mehgan Shaw and Amanda Perrott. Megan Ellis and Jenna Wilson. W-Shaw (2-0). L-Ellis.
Highlights: DSU, Nikki Marcoux 2-for-4, 2 RBI; Vanessa Adame 2-for-2; Amanda Perrott 1-for-2, RBI, 2 runs.
Records: DSU 6-1.
