Valparaiso, Ind. - The Green Bay (11-6, 0-2) softball team opened Horizon League play with two shutout losses on the road against Valparaiso (18-7, 2-0) on Saturday afternoon.

In game one the Phoenix was shutout 8-0 in five innings with just three hits. Valpo's Sadie Conner started the scoring with a solo homerun in the bottom of the second inning. The Crusaders' Sara Strickland added an RBI double off pitcher Lauren Beres (New Berlin, Wis.) who allowed six runs off seven hits in 2.2 innings.

Valpo added three more runs in the third before ending the game scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth off pitcher Andrea Pigeon (Sheboygan, Wis.).

Green Bay's three hits in the game came from Krissy Hanson (Appleton, Wis.) who singled in the first inning, Kendra Woepse (Manitowoc, Wis.) who singled in the third and Sara Junion (Sevastopol, Wis.) who singled in the fourth. On the mound Beres gets her first loss of the season for the Phoenix (4-1).

In game two the bats were quiet until the fourth inning when Green Bay's Katie Cooney (East Moline, Ill.) singled to right field followed by Alli Rivera's (Geneseo, Ill.) single down the right field line. With runners at the corners Danielle Peerenboom (Appleton, Wis.) hit into a double play ending the inning for the Phoenix.

Valpo put the first run on the board in the bottom of the fourth with Green Bay's Cooney on the mound. The Crusaders added two runs off two hits in the bottom of the fifth to boost their lead to 3-0.

With one out in the top of the seventh Green Bay's Jenna Nitti (Green Bay, Wis.) singled to second base which was followed by Melani Niederer's (New Munster, Wis.) single to the pitcher, advancing Nitti to second.

The Phoenix finished the game with nine hits and four errors as Cooney got the loss (2-5) on the mound. Green Bay will wrap up its three-game road trip against the Crusaders Sunday at noon before returning home to host Wisconsin in a double-header on Wednesday at 1 and 3 p.m.

---www.GreenBayPhoenix.com---