GULF SHORES, Ala.- The Drury Panthers opened the season going 1-2 in the Gulf Shores Invitational in Gulf Shores, Alabama. On Saturday, Drury opened with an 8-5 loss to Montevallo, then rebounded to defeat Shorter 4-1. The Panthers ended the tournament on Sunday, falling to seventh-ranked Valdosta State, 7-0.
 
In Drury's opener on Saturday against Montevallo, the Panthers took a 5-3 lead as they scored four times in the top of the seventh. But the Falcons responded to tie the game in the bottom of half of the seventh, and with Drury two outs away from sending the game to extra innings, Montevallo smacked a three-run home run to win the game 8-5.
 
Summer Johnson went 2 for 3 for the Panthers and added a run batted in.
 
Drury bounced back Saturday night with a 4-1 win over Shorter. Karsyn Smith (1-0) got the win as she worked all seven innings allowing just five hits, and one earned run, with one walk and two strikeouts. The Panthers scored three runs in the second inning and added another run in the third. Gena Kulberg went 2 for 3 at the plate for Drury, with a run scored and an RBI.
 
The Panthers ended the tournament on Sunday, falling to seventh-ranked Valdosta State 7-0. The Blazers scored seven runs on 10 hits. Drury managed six hits but stranded eight runners. Kaitlyn Luna and Lauren Beier both had two hits for the Panthers.

Drury's first two games in the tournament were canceled by rain on Friday. 
 
Drury returns to action next weekend in the Alvy Early Tournament Feb. 11-13 in Bentonville, Arkansas. The Panthers open that event against number-one ranked the University of Texas-Tyler on Friday at 11 am.
 
 
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