St. Ambrose was never able to keep momentum in dropping its first two games at a tournament hosted by Friends at the Two Rivers Youth Complex in Wichita, Kan., Friday.

The Bees fell to No. 17 Ottawa 9-6 and then to Avila 5-4. SAU scored in six different innings over the two games, but in five of those six, the Bees immediately turned around and let the opponent answer.

St. Ambrose twice built multi-run leads against nationally-ranked Ottawa. The first time came in the top of the first. Shai Erdrich scored the first run of the game before Mady Reed drew a bases-loaded walk for a 2-0 lead. The Bees had a chance for more but left the bases loaded. In the bottom of the frame, Ottawa came back with two runs of its own to tie the game.

In the third, SAU put up three runs. Paige Kirkman had an RBI single to bring in Reagan Engberg and Reed later followed with an infield single to plate Kylee Claypool. Reed and Erica Ralfs were successful on a double steal with Ralfs scoring to put St. Ambrose in front 5-2. Again the Braves answered, hitting three of their five home runs in the bottom of the third to go in front 6-5.

Ottawa pushed across another run in the fourth. Becca Haag's double scored Reed to cut the SAU deficit to 7-6 in the fifth, but the Braves added a pair of runs in the fifth to end the scoring.

Erdrich, Kirkman, Ralfs and Alyssa Schumacher each had two hits. Cara Linnenkamp was charged with the loss after working 3 2/3 innings in relief of starter Emilee Erickson.

It was a similar story in the one-run loss to Avila.

SAU struck first with Schumacher's sacrifice bunt bringing in Erdrich to but the Bees in front 1-0 in the top of the first. The lead didn't last an inning as the Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the frame.

Ralfs knotted the score at 2-2 with a solo home run in the top of the fourth. Later in the inning, Brooke Baker put the Bees in front 3-2 with a single that scored Reed. But the bottom of the inning saw Avila score three times to take a 5-3 lead. Another Schumacher sacrifice bunt brought in Erdrich to close the gap to 5-4 but SAU would not score again.

Leah Maro took the loss despite allowing just three earned runs over five innings. Ralfs pitched a scorelss sixth inning.

St. Ambrose (8-6) will close the two-day event with games Saturday against Mayville State and Peru State.