CLERMONT, Fla. -- Simmons Softball opened their 2014 campaign with a 10-1 victory over The Sage Colleges in five innings and then fell to Haverford College 7-3 in game two at the Dot Richardson Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.

Game One: Simmons 10, Sage 1

Simmons scored three runs in the first inning as Hannah Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) walked at her first at bat of the year and then scored on a wild pitch. Mikaela Caracciolo (North Attleboro, Mass.) reached first on an error and Christina Mulcahy (Cambridge, Mass.) walked and then stole second for runners on second and third. Jess Uschmann (Feeding Hills, Mass.) singled to center field to drive in both runs for a 3-0 lead.

Kristen Beikirch found her way onto first after a long at bat with a walk and then stole second before Faas doubled to left field to score Beikirch. The Sharks defense made the next two outs to keep the two run lead. After a scoreless second and third, Caracciolo singled to center field to bring junior Jen Field (Windham, Maine) across home plate. Mulcahy singled for her second hit of the game and Caracciolo came home for a 5-1 spread.

Simmons continued to dominate in the fifth, as sophomore Heather White (Westfield, Mass.) led off with a single. Alaina DeNoncour (Johnston, R.I.) walked and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Sage pitcher Lindsay Brace walked Field and White and DeNoncour scored on passed balls. Emily Cunningham (Cotuit, Mass.) and Simmons pitcher Lauren Backhaus (Windsor, Conn.) each added RBI singles as the Sharks put up a five-run inning. In Sage's final ups, the Sharks went one, two, three to end the game.

Backhaus recorded her first win of the year, pitching all five innings with just one hit and six strikeouts.

Game Two: Haverford 7, Simmons 3

In game two, Haverford started strong, as Newman singled up the middle before Dayle Comerford singled through the left side for the RBI and 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, H. Cunningham singled up the middle and advanced to second on a Caracciolo walk. E. Cunningham singled to move the runners before White hit an RBI single to right field. With two outs, DeNoncour reached on a fielder's choice and picked up two RBIs.

Both teams were scoreless in the second and third but Haverford scored three runs in the top of the fourth off a double by Jill Schnall to retake the lead. Kendall Chambers kept the Sharks scoreless in the fourth and fifth and Elizabeth Newman doubled in the sixth for a 5-3 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Mulcahy and DeNoncour both singled but the Sharks were unable to convert. Lauren Touey doubled for Haverford in the top of the seventh to score Emily Winesett and Miwa Wenzel to increase their lead 7-3. Simmons first year Danielle LeBlanc (Templeton, Mass.) came in relief and struck out Haverford's final batter to end the inning.

Heather White singled to centerfield and Mulcahy singled in the bottom of the seventh for the opportunity to close the gap to one but Winesett made the strike out to end the game.