CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Lawrence University softball team mounted a big rally in the bottom of the seventh inning Friday but came up just short in a 9-7 nonconference loss to the University of New England.
    Xiomara Rueda-Marshall went 2-for-3 with a homer and finished with a pair of runs batted in for the Vikings. Jordan Wallin-Swanson also went 2-for-3 and drove in a run, and Mary Boyle drove in a pair of runs for Lawrence.
    New England scored twice in the top of the first, but the Vikings tied it in the bottom half of the inning. Rueda-Marshall cracked a solo homer to right to cut the lead in half. Mattigan Haller followed with a single, and Mikayla Jeneske smacked a two-out double to score Haller for a 2-2 tie.
    The Nor'Easters then scored once in the second, three times in the fourth, once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to take a 9-2 lead. 
    Khayla Santiago started the rally in the bottom of the seventh when she reached on an error. After Taylor Hughes walked, Rueda-Marshall singled to score Santiago to cut the lead to 9-3. 
    Haller and Wallin-Swanson then drew walks to force in Hughes and the score was 9-4. After a fielder's choice got an out at home, Chapin Grumhaus singled to score Haller and trim the lead to 9-5. Boyle then singled to score Jeneske and Wallin-Swanson to cut the margin to 9-7, but a strikeout and an out on the bases ended the threat.
    Alie Martell went five innings, struck out seven and walked three, to get the win. Wallin-Swanson gave up four earned runs over four innings and took the loss.