After dropping all five games in the Mizuno Invitational at Long Beach State two weeks ago, the softball team looked to bounce back at the Tiger Invitational at LSU this weekend.

Instead, the story was much of the same.

The team lost twice to both Northwestern and host No. 21 LSU, as well as Penn State, bringing their overall record to 0-10.

One day it was pitching, the other it was lack of offense and then defensive errors. Together, the Colonials failed to put forth an all-around effort in any game, and it cost them.

The first day of tournament play was the closest the Colonials ever came to a win, ultimately falling to Northwestern 12-11. Freshmen Megan Linn, Jillian Galich, Mary Wiley and Madi Myers-Cook combined for 10 of the team’s season-high 12 hits to keep the game close. But despite their offensive prowess and a four-run comeback in the top of the sixth, an eventual game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the inning from the Wildcats’ Olivia Duehr was too much to overcome.

That same night, despite striking first, the Colonials lost to LSU in just five innings by a score of 14-4. The Tigers offense scored nine runs in the second inning, including a two-out grand slam, that dashed GW’s hopes and all but put the game out of reach.

Senior pitcher Courtney Martin (0-7) took the loss after allowing five runs, three earned, on one hit and four walks in one inning, while sophomore Meghan Rico (0-3) allowed nine runs on eight hits and six walks in three innings.

The next day brought the same opponents, the same challenges, and unfortunately, the same results.

Another strong 2-0 start against Northwestern was squandered in the third inning when the Wildcats scored five runs. GW would respond with just one more run while the Wildcats doubled their score and captured a 10-3 win.

In the nightcap, GW did a much better job against LSU but still dropped the game 8-4. LSU gained the lead early, but two bases-loaded walks in the fourth by sophomore Carlee Gray and Linn cut GW’s deficit to 4-3. That was the closest they would come.

Martin pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits and three walks with four strikeouts, but still remained winless on the season.

GW’s final game Sunday brought another five-inning loss, falling to the Nittany Lions 9-1. The Colonials failed to score until the top of the fifth, by which time their defense had already given up seven runs. With two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, Penn State ended the game early and kept the struggling Colonials with a zero in the win column.

The Colonials continue to struggle on both sides of the ball. The pitching duo of Martin and Rico now have a combined average ERA of 11.61 and 78 walks on the season. On offense, although the freshman class is setting itself apart, as a team, the Colonials are under-producing in both hits and runs, accumulating just a .199 team-batting average through 10 games.

GW looks to turn things around this Friday in Greensboro, N.C. at the UNCG Spartan classic, where they will face No. 22 Minnesota, among others.