In the aftermath of Mexico's 7-3 home loss to Marshall on Tuesday, the team gathered to assess their effort. There was no finger pointing, no frustration – just an open forum on how to prevent another upset.

"We weren't together as a team," Abby Bellamy observed after the meeting broke up.

Marshall jumped on the Bulldogs, scoring five in the first. But miscues hurt Mexico more than Marshall bats.

Fortune turned against the Bulldogs in the first, as well. Lazy popups fell just out of reach and slow grounders trickled through the narrowest of gaps.

Meanwhile Mexico couldn't solve Owls pitcher Riley Wilkinson. A single by Riley Thurman was the only Bulldogs hit through four innings.

Down 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the softball fates tempted Mexico but again turned against them. Taylor DeMint led off with a single. Ruby Haefling hammered a double to left center and Kenley Jones drew a walk to load the bases.

A fielder's choice cut off DeMint at the plate, but the bases remained packed with two down. Riley Thurman ripped the ball to center, but right at Owls centerfielder Makenna Parker.

"I felt like I lost the game," Thurman said. "But we got our groove back after that."

Indeed, in the bottom of the sixth Bellamy stretched a single into two bases. Jordyn Thurman smacked a base hit and took advantage of Owls inattention to take second.

Kierstan Epperson then drove a single into the left field gap, scoring Bellamy and Thurman.

"I've been hitting the ball well," said the Bulldogs' first sacker. "You could tell our energy was up."

Starting pitcher Eboni Mayfield and reliever Jordyn Thurman held the visitors in check, apart from a long ball by Wilkinson. Meanwhile the Bulldogs continued to claw back.

Lexie Willer beat out a bunt to give some promise to the start of the seventh. She was rewarded for her effort when Riley Thurman doubled to the centerfield fence.

With one down and a runner in scoring position, Bellamy launched a ball deep to right center. Afterward she admitted to going into a trot because it was either going to be a home run or a long out.

On this night, with fortune against them from the start (the game was moved to the baseball field due to an issue on the softball diamond) it turned out to be the latter. Marshall's Parker gathered it in with her back against the wall.

"It's a chance to learn," Mayfield observed. "At the end of the day it's not a big loss."