The middle inning loomed large as the Washington Demon softball team dropped a pair of Southeast Conference games Monday night. Washington traveled to Hoskins Park in Fort Madison for the league opener, and left town with a couple of losses 4-1 and 6-2.

Early fielding errors hindered Washington in game one, committing four errors in the first four innings for the contest. Fort Madison’s Chayse Lowney went 4-4 at the plate, driving in two runs and scoring another to earn the 4-1 victory in game one. The Bloodhound’s Lexi Schmidt pitched a complete game, allowing one run on four hits, walked one batter, and struck out six more for the victory. Two of the Bloodhounds’ four runs came in the fourth inning.

Washington freshman Brooke Stout recorded her first hit of the season in game one, an RBI single in the sixth inning to push across Morgan Brinning for the team’s lone run of the game. Junior pitcher Mackenzie Knutson took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out three other batters in the loss.

Game two saw the Demons have a 2-1 advantage heading into the bottom of the fourth. The Bloodhounds sent seven players to the plate in the fourth, platting four runs on four hits including a Lowney two run home run to take a 5-2 lead. Lowney drove in the final run of the night in the sixth inning on an RBI single, for a 6-2 final score.

Kolbi Breard led the Demon offense in game two, going two for three at the plate with a double and two RBI’s. Sophomore Maddy Hinrichsen was charged with the loss, allowing five runs on three hits, walking no one and striking out a batter in four innings. Eighth grader Molly Sparks relieved Hinrichsen in the fifth and gave up an additional run on four hits and didn’t record a walk or strike out in the final two innings.

The losses drop Washington’s overall record to 1-3. The Demons return to the diamond Thursday, hosting the No. 15 Fairfield Trojans (2-0) at Washington’s Softball Complex.