TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Purdue University Northwest softball team dropped two games in its opening day in Arizona Saturday, falling to Arizona Christian, who is receiving votes in the preseason NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll, by a score of 9-5, and Lawrence Tech (Mich.), 3-1. 

Purdue Northwest (4-4) returns to action Sunday with a pair of games against Huntington (Ind.) and Valley City State. 

GAME 1: ARIZONA CHRISTIAN 9, PNW 5
The Pride (4-3) opened the game hot, scoring four runs in the first inning after loading the bases to set up RBI singles by Samantha Oppenhuis (Munster, Ind./Illiana Christian) and Caroline Brown (Minooka, Ill./Minooka Community). 

But the Firestorm (13-11) would answer with three runs in the second inning to cut the lead to just one, 4-3. 

Oppenhuis delivered another big hit in the third, belting an RBI double to score teammate Holly Pagan (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett), who singled to open the inning. 

The score remained 5-3 Pride until the top of the seventh, when Arizona Christian connected on three hits to score five runs and take a 9-5 lead which the Pride were unable to answer. 

Oppenhuis finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, Brown was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Tessa Steffens (Litchfield, Ill./Litchfield) was 1-for-2 with an RBI to lead the Pride batters. 

PNW is currently in action against Lawrence Tech (Mich.) to wrap up Saturday's play. The Pride return to the field Sunday, when they face Huntington (Ind.) and Valley City State. 

GAME 2: LAWRENCE TECH 3, PNW 1
The Blue Devils (9-14) jumped to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the third inning and never looked back in Saturday's night cap thanks to strong pitching from Alexa Cherney, who totaled 12 strikeouts and allowed just three hits. 

PNW answered with a run in the fourth inning when Hannah Lopez (Granada Hills, Calif./Bishop Alemany) walked and later scored with the help of a Kyleigh Payne (Bourbonnais, Illl./Bishop Alemany) single and an Blue Devil error. 

But Cherney held the Pride off balance with seven K's and allowed just one hit in teh final three innings. 

Payne, Olivia Sardella (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central), and Lauren Maynard (Griffith, Ind./Griffith) tallied hits for the Pride. 

Caroline Brown took the loss for the Pride, allowing just five hits.