Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall right fielder Taylor Frana (6) slides into home plate on a passed ball during a Big South Conference softball game against St. Peter, Tuesday in Marshall.

MARSHALL — A strong offensive showing wasn’t enough to match the St. Peter bats in the Marshall softball team’s home opener Tuesday night. The Tigers rattled off five runs in the final two innings, but still fell 16-5 to the Saints in Big South Conference play.

The Tigers trailed 8-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth when their bats kicked into gear. Jennifer Lee, Taylor Frana and Sara Dallmann hit consecutive singles to load the bases before a fly out put two away in the inning. Yet, Brynlee Dieken lined a single into left field to push one run across the plate, Frana scored on a wild pitch and Kinsley Bitker singled in Dallmann to cut the gap to five runs.

“It’s their resiliency … Saturday too, we played in 35-degree weather and they battled both games, even if the score didn’t show it,” Marshall head coach Stacey Baedke said. “They played very well Saturday, and then again here. They’re just resilient. They didn’t give up. I’m very proud of them, and I’m very excited to see what happens this season.”

A trio of errors aided St. Peter in scoring eight runs in the top of the sixth, but Marshall didn’t quit at the plate. With two outs, Lee and Frana singled, and Dallmann doubled to drive in both runners. Dallmann advanced to third on a wild pitch, but a ground out left her stranded as St. Peter won via mercy rule.

Dallmann pitched the bulk of the game for Marshall, throwing four innings of relief while surrendering four earned runs on nine hits and a pair of walks. Despite the final statline, Dallmann had a strong showing in the circle, limiting the Saints to one earned run on five hits in the first four innings of her outing.

Alissa Moen retired each of the first two batters she faced to start the game, but St. Peter rallied with two outs. Auden Anderson and Courtlynn Spessard hit back-to-back solo home runs to get the Saints on the scoreboard, and Lilian Filand and Tatum Kennedy hit back-to-back singles before Leah Oberlander sent them both home with an outfield single to bring the score to 4-0.

Marshall put runners in scoring position when Bitker walked and Jayla Morgan doubled in the bottom of the second, but a strikeout and a groundout left the runners stranded.

The Tigers also got runners on second and third an inning later, coming via a walk to Lee, Frana getting hit by a pitch and a wild pitch advancing them both with no outs. Yet, a strikeout, a pop out to shallow right field and a ground out again ended the frame without the Tigers crossing the plate.

Lee and Frana each had three hits for Marshall while Dallmann logged a double, a single and two RBIs. Bitker also reached base twice with a single and a walk.

“It’s about confidence. We’ve talked a lot about that this year, that it’s a mindset and your confidence is going to be half the battle,” Baedke said of her team’s offensive strides, adding that they’ve tried to get in more live at-bats in practice this season. “I think that’s giving them the opportunity to see those pitches that move, instead of the front-toss that we’ve done in the past, and it’s showing. They’re having good at-bats and they’re getting on base when they need to.”

Devyn Welp pitched all six innings for St. Peter, striking out seven batters while limiting Marshall to five earned runs on 11 hits and a walk.

Marshall falls to 0-5 and looks to get in the win column when it goes on the road to take on Jordan on Friday at 5 p.m.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

J. Lee: 3-4, 2 R; T. Frana: 3-3, HBP, 2 R; S. Dallmann: 2-4 (2B), 2 RBI, 2 SO; B. Dieken: 1-3, RBI, SO; K. Bitker: 1-2, RBI, BB; J. Morgan: 1-3 (2B).

PITCHING

A. Moen: L, IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER; S. Dallmann: 4 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, SO; J. Lee: IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 SO.