CLEARWATER, Fla. - The University of Pennsylvania softball team (1-8) finally got over the hump on Wednesday as they got their first win of the season defeating Niagara 7-5. The Quakers then fell 5-2 to Western Michigan in what was Penn's fifth extra innings game of the road trip. The Red and Blue will wrap up their trip to Florida on Thursday as they play Robert Morris at 11 a.m. and No. 15 Florida State at 1:15 p.m.

Inside the Numbers

* Penn's win over Niagara was its first win of the season. The seven runs scored were the most they've scored in a game. 

* The Quakers have played five extra inning games this year. They 0-5 in games that go extra innings. 

* Abigail Abramson got her first career start against Niagara. The freshman struck out five allowing eight hits and just three runs. Her season ERA dropped to 6.56 after her performance. 

* Tabitha Dyer bounced back after a rough first start against Charleston. In seven innings pitched, Dyer allowed just three runs while leaving 11 runners on base. 

* Jurie Joyner finally got her bat going on Wednesday. The senior was Penn's best hitter going five for seven with three RBI's. 

* Penn hit three doubles and had four stolen bases against Niagara. Both numbers are season highs. 

How it Happened

Looking for their first win of the season, the Quakers started their day Wednesday rematching against Niagara, a team they fell to in extra innings the day before. Penn fell down 3-0 early in the first game and played from behind, this time around, they got off to an early start and didn't look back. 

Freshman Lucy Yang who has solidified herself in the third spot in the lineup singled allowing Jennifer Brann to score. Two batters later, Jurie Joyner broke her slump of eleven straight at bats without a hit as she doubled to right field bringing in Yang to put Penn up 2-0. 

The Red and Blue kept their foot on the gas in the second bringing in three more runs. Abramson started it off with a double to right field while Jessica England and Brann followed suit getting on base and allowing the freshman pitcher to score. England scored on a disguise play stealing home while Brann stole second bringing in another run. Finally, Brann was brought home as Dyer singled to right center putting the Quakers up 5-0. 

Penn tok a commanding 7-0 lead in the 3rd as Molly Oretsky scored on a double by Katie Petroski and Abramson scored for the second time with the held from England. 

Slowly but surely however, Niagara climbed back. The Purple Eagles scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth. Heading into the seventh, the Quakers lead 7-3. Head coach Leslie King put in another freshman at pitcher, this time Ciana Curran, to close it out. Curran loaded the bases allowing two walks and a single and subsequently was pulled for Dyer. While allowing two runs on a single on her first batter faced, Dyer forced three straight ground outs to clinch the team's first win this season as they defeated Niagara 7-5. 

In game two, it would be yet another rematch, this time against Western Michigan. Once again, sparked by the bat of Joyner, the Quakers scored two runs in the first inning. The senior doubled bringing in Corey Burrough and Yang to put Penn up 2-0. 

After a shaky start against Charleston, Dyer was much better against the Broncos. The freshman left the bases loaded in the first inning, allowing no runs to come in and struck out to batters in the second. 

In the fourth, after leaving five runners on base through the first three innings, Western Michigan finally got on the board on a single to right center allowing the runner on third to advance home. The Broncos tied the scored on a mishandled pitch by Burrough. 

The pitching battle continued throughout the game with neither giving up an inch. Between the two, only Dyer ran into trouble as she had runners on second and third in the seventh, but forced a pop out to left field to escape the inning. 

Finally in the eighth playing regular innings and not International Tiebreaker rules, Dyer was pulled for Brann. The sophomore pitcher allowed three runs, one of which was credited to Dyer due to a walk given up early in the inning putting Western Michigan up 5-2. 

While Ortesky and Joyer reached bases putting runners on first and second on the game's final out for the beginning of a potential rally, Penn was not able to bring either home making it seven straight innings without a run. With the loss, The Red and Blue fell to 1-8 and 0-5 in extra inning games. 

What's Next

The Quakers wrap up the trip to Florida on Thursday with games against Robert Morris and No. 15 Florida State. Penn will then return home for a game next Wednesday at Penn Park against Lafayette.