Clinton, Iowa - The Viterbo University Softball team didn't start the beginning of conference play the way they would have liked to Tuesday afternoon as the team lost both games against Ashford University.

The first game of the double-header went to Ashford by the score of 8-1 as the V-Hawks fell apart in the sixth inning. Trailing just 2-1 going into the sixth, the V-Hawks gave up six runs due in large part to two errors early in the inning. Viterbo finished with five errors in the game.

Driving in the V-Hawks lone run was Andrea Haines (Jr. - Arcadia, Wis.) as her single scored Kenisha McGuire (Fr. - La Crosse, Wis.) who doubled just before Haines at-bat.

The V-Hawks were 1-0 victims in the second game as Ashford's starting pitcher Nicole Woodard tossed a no-hitter. Woodard went the complete game as she finished with three strikeouts and allowed just one walk.

Despite picking up the loss, Viterbo's starting pitcher Kallie Mechling (So. - Holmen, Wis.) also pitched well as she allowed just one run on seven hits.

Ashford picked up their lone run in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Jessica Martin which drove in Nichole Salazar who had singled earlier in the innings.

The loss drops Viterbo's overall record to 3-11 while they fall to 0-2 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference. The win gives Ashford a 7-7 overall record and a 2-0 MCC record. The V-Hawks next action will come this weekend as they travel to Oskaloosa, Iowa for four MCC games. They will play two games on both Saturday and Sunday against William Penn University, Waldorf College, Iowa Wesleyan College, and Mount Mercy College.