(TIFFIN, OH)--Mount Union's softball team, ranked No. 23 in the nation, suffered a pair of one-run losses, 2-1 and 4-3, to Heidelberg Wednesday in the Ohio Athletic Conference opener in Tiffin.

The Purple Raiders fall to 12-10 overall and 0-2 in the OAC, while Heidelberg moves to 15-3 overall and 2-0 in the OAC.

Game one was scoreless until the seventh inning when Mount Union got a pair of runners on base after two Heidelberg errors. Then Ashley Henriques (Canton/GlenOak) hit a two-out RBI single to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the frame, Mount Union returned the favor as a walk and a single got two Berg runners on then a Raider error brought home two runs and the ballgame.

Dana Thoms pitched a complete game two-hitter to get the win for Heidelberg, while Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) was the hard luck loser as the freshman took her first loss of the season (7-1) even though she did not allow an earned run and struck out seven.

In game two, a Bessie Artino home run in the second gave Heidelberg an early 1-0 lead. 

Mount Union got on the board in the fourth as Mara Palombaro (Boardman/Cardinal Mooney) had an RBI double and Meghan Simons (Minerva/Minerva) had an RBI single to make the score 2-1.  That lead did not last long as the Berg came back in the bottom of the frame with two more runs and retook the lead, 3-2.

Heidelberg tacked on another run in the fifth to extend the lead to 4-2.

Mount Union tried to rally in sixth as Palombaro hit another run scoring double but that ended up being the Raiders final hit for the game.

Ali Sayre got the win and Thoms pitched the final two innings for the save as the duo held Mount Union to just three runs on nine hits.

Brittany Mayo took the loss in relief, while Palombaro and Alex Lucak (Maple Heights/Trinity) each finished with three hits for the Raiders.

Mount Union returns to action Friday at 1 pm in an OAC doubleheader at Wilmington.