FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On Tuesday afternoon, the University of Saint Francis Cougars (13-10; 5-6 Crossroads) played host to the No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats (26-5; 11-2 Crossroads) at Westendorf Field for a tough doubleheader and dropped the opener 11-5 and had the second game halted in the sixth inning due to weather.

In the opener, junior pitcher Mackenzie Rust took the mound to start her third game in four days but struggled from the start. The Wildcats got a couple hits and a sacrifice fly to score the first two runs of the game.

Come the top of the second, matters only worsened for the Cougars. The Wildcats loaded the bases with one out and proceeded to score three more runs on a bases-clearing single to go ahead 5-0. Five hits total in the inning, along with two fielding errors by the Cougars plated six runs as Wesleyan extended their lead to 8-0.

In the bottom of the second, the Cougars began to show patience at the plate. They earned three straight walks to open the inning, and then got a couple runs back on a bases-loaded walk and sacrifice fly to trail now by just six.

Rust's day was finished after the second inning and Roni Hudson came in to relieve and pitched brilliantly.

The game remained 8-2 until the fifth inning when a leadoff home run put the Wildcats back ahead by seven, only to have Saint Francis get that run back in the bottom half of the frame.

The Cougars managed to match the Wildcats run-for-run except for the second inning, but it proved too big of a deficit to overcome as they dropped the opener by six.

In the finale, freshman pitcher Mia Werner started on the mound for the Cougars, and a play at the plate seemed to get the Cougars going, for in the bottom of the first, they took their first lead of the day.

But in the top of the second, the Wildcats answered back. They led off the inning with consecutive doubles to tie the game, and then with two outs and the bases loaded, Wesleyan hammered a grand slam over the left field wall to jump ahead 5-1.

After two more runs scored in the top of the third to extend the deficit to 7-1, the Cougars came to bat in the bottom of the fourth and got back in the game.

With two outs, the Cougars loaded the bases and designated player Abby Erwin doubled to left to score a couple, and then third baseman Dani Karr singled home two more runs with a hit to right, plating four runs for Saint Francis, now trailing just 7-5.

But then the wheels came off in the top of the sixth. With two outs, a costly error by the Cougars then gave the Wildcats another life, and they cashed it in with a three-run home run and four more runs.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Cougars loaded the bases, but then mother nature intervened and halted the game. The Cougars and Wildcats will complete their second game in a date to be determined.

The Cougars resume play Friday afternoon when they travel to Huntington, Indiana for a road doubleheader against the Huntington University Foresters (6-19; 4-10 Crossroads) beginning at 3:00 pm.