Box Score FT. MYERS, Fla. - Carroll University (1-1) staged a late rally, but fell short as they dropped their first game of the season 5-3 to Rockford University.

The game was scoreless through three innings before Rockford broke the ice with a single tally to take the 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.  Carroll would respond in the bottom half of the inning as Joe Huss would draw a bases loaded walk to bring home Dylan Grove with the tying run.  Unfortunately, the Pios would leave the bases loaded, three of the ten runners that they would strand on the afternoon.

Rockford would reclaim the lead with three unearned runs in the sixth and one more unearned run in the seventh to stretch the lead to 5-1 going into the bottom of the 7th.  Carroll would cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles by Brady Durni and Hunter Frey, but again left two runners in scoring position,  trailing 5-3 after seven.

The Pioneers would go quietly in the eighth inning, but would put the tying run on base in the ninth inning only to leave them stranded as the final out was recorded.

"Defense was the difference today," noted Head Coach Stein Rear.  "We had a couple of costly defensive miscues and Rockford had three or four tremendous defensive plays that took runs off the board for us."

Carroll will return to the diamond on Tuesday as they face Rivier College in a double header, start time is 9am EST.