LUBBOCK, Texas - The Utah Valley University softball team opened up play at the Texas Tech Invitational with two losses Friday afternoon in Lubbock, Texas. The Wolverines were leading Bryant University in the first game of the day 15-10 in the last of the seventh inning but let the game slip away 16-15. UVU also dropped the second game to the No. 21 Texas Tech Red Raiders 8-3.

With the losses the Wolverines remain winless at 0-5, while Texas Tech improved to 6-0 and Bryant 1-0.

"There's not a whole lot of in between with us right now. We are either really, really good or really, really bad," UVU head coach Todd Fairbourne said. "We were right there with the No. 21 team in the nation and we've got to figure out how to wins games like that first one. It's just a matter of finishing and making plays for us right now."

In the first game of the day against Bryant, UVU got off to another good start as they put a four spot on the board in the top of the first. After Mandy Tapia and Amanda Robinson both reached base via walks, Amanda Perez stepped up and hit a 3-run homer. Samantha Telarroja later tripled in the frame and Deianna Russell singled her home.

From there the game went back-and-forth as both teams continued to shine in the batters box.

The Wolverines later loaded the bases in the top of the fifth trailing 10-9. The big bat of Perez then stepped up and did it again as she gave UVU a three-run lead by belting a grand slam over the center field fence for her second round tripper of the game.

The Bulldogs managed to push across a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 13-10.

The Wolverines added two more insurance runs in the final inning to go up 15-10. Tapia doubled to lead off the frame and Perez drove her home with an RBI groundout. Robinson, who singled in the inning, also scored on a wild pitch.

In the bottom of the seventh the Bulldogs just wouldn't quit as they managed to score six runs to pick up the walk-off win over the Wolverines. Three of the runs were unearned as Bryant was aided in the frame by two Wolverine miscues. Bryant's Lindsay Martin delivered the knock out blow in the inning as she doubled home two runs to give the Bulldogs the win.

Kyli Flanary pitched six plus innings in the first game and Josi Summers came in to the game in the seventh and pitched well on in relief but was charged with the loss.

Perez led UVU in the game as she finished with a school-record eight RBI and was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Meghan Yocom, Robinson and Russell all also finished with three hit games. As a team UVU slugged out 17 hits in the loss.

In the second game against the undefeated Red Raiders, UVU scored in the first inning for the fifth straight time this season and took an early 1-0 lead. Tech answered with two runs of the bottom of the frame but the Wolverines countered with another in the second to tie the game at 2-all. Russell and Telarroja had the two early runs batted in for the Wolverines.

The Red Raiders then pulled ahead in the last of the third by scoring four more runs to go up 6-2. UVU added its final run of the game in the fifth when Russell earned another RBI for drawing a bases loaded walk.

TTU put the game away in the last of the frame by scoring two more insurance runs to take an 8-3 advantage. And that is the way the game would finish as the Red Raiders held UVU scoreless in the final two innings.

Summers started the game and pitched four innings for UVU. She struck out five but allowed seven runs and was credited with the loss. Flanary pitched well in relief as she allowed just one earned run in two innings of work.

"We were good enough today to at least split," Fairbourne added. "Some of our kids are still learning to play their positions with the intelligence and intensity level necessary to win and it's hurting us right now. But we're going to get better."

UVU will have three more games at the Texas Tech Invitational, with two on Saturday and one on Sunday. The Wolverines will play Bryant again Saturday at 10 a.m. MT and the Red Raiders Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.