CHICAGO - The Bulldog Softball team used a big seventh inning to earn a split on day one of the Rosemont Dome Invitational on Thursday afternoon. Truman dropped the first game to Wisconsin Parkside 6-5 but scored three times in the seventh to down Purdue Northwest 4-1.

The Bulldogs return to the dome on Friday with games against Ferris (Mich.) State (1:30 p.m.) and Saginaw Valley (Mich.) State (6 p.m.).

Game 1: Parkside 6, Truman State 5

Costly errors allowed Wisconsin Parkside to take the weekend opener 6-5 over the Bulldogs on Thursday morning. Truman State manufactured their first two runs to go up 2-0. Emily Wood walked and then stole second and third before scoring on a ground out from Cameryn Patterson in the first. In the second, Breianna Klein drew a walk, went to second on a passed ball and swiped third before scoring on a single by Maria McGonegle. 

An error in the second allowed the Rangers to tie the game at two.

Klein would help her own cause with a singe in the third to score Cassie Smith, who was advanced to second on a sac bunt and stole third base. 

With two on and one out in the fourth, consecutive errors by Bulldog fielders allowed four runs to score and gave Parkside a 6-3 lead.

The Bulldogs tried to chip away with Smith starting the fifth with a walk and going to third on a double by Patterson. Alex Beard lofted a fly ball to center that brought Smith home but Patterson was gunned down at third trying to advance. 

In the sixth, Truman put their first two hitters aboard and a sac bunt by Macy Taylor moved them into scoring position. A sac fly by Wood scored Lauren Stade but Smith would fly out to end the inning with the tying run in scoring position.

The Bulldogs went 1-2-3 in the seventh to fall.

Truman had seven stolen bases in the game.

Klein was the starter and pitched three and a third allowing two earned runs on three hits while Brooke Nutter tossed the final two plus innings and allowed no runs and no hits while fanning three.

Game 2: Truman State 4, Purdue Northwest 1

Breianna Klein's pinch hit single to right field broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the seventh inning and Truman would score two more times in the 4-1 win.

Both teams got on the board in the fifth with Madi McCarty scoring on a pinch hit single by Emily Wood. 

Purdue Northwest loaded the bases with nobody out and got a sac fly to tie things at one. Mackenzie West got a punch out on a called third strike for the second out, intentionally walked the next hit and it paid off with a ground ball to end the threat.

The Pride had runners at the corners with Brooke Nutter summoned to the circle and she got out of the inning by getting the leadoff hitter to line out to Cassie Smith at second.

In the seventh, Emily Eberwine led off with a hit to right field and raced around to third taking advantage of a fielding error on the play. Alivia Daniels drew a walk and swiped second base to put both runners in scoring position.

McCarty was called by for Klein at the plate and she knocked a pitch into right field to score Eberwine to break the tie. Smith brought in Daniels with a fielders choice and Wood brought in Smith on a triple to center field.

Nutter would strand two runners in the bottom of the seventh to pick up her first collegiate win.

Annabel Zimmer got the start and pitched four solid innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out five.