DAVENPORT, Iowa – A good starting point.

Those were the sentiments of College of Saint Mary Coach Carolyn Todd Bray on Sunday after her softball team completed a split of its opening weekend of competition.

The Flames beat Cleary (Mich.) University 11-5 in their opener before falling 12-1 to Clarke (Iowa) University in six innings of indoor action at the Ambrose Dome. CSM had opened its season Saturday with a 1-0 win over Clarke followed by a 5-2 loss to host St. Ambrose, leaving it at 2-2 on the weekend.

"Overall, it was a good weekend,'' Bray said. "We did some really good things. Of course we have some things to work on, but we were pretty pleased.

"The thing I was most proud of was how good we played defensively this weekend, especially missing a couple starters and having to move some people around."

In Sunday's opener, CSM unleashed a 13-hit barrage on Cleary, led by three hits each from Ella Watts, Shaylynn Campbell and Kynzee McFadden. Watts was 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, including a double and a triple, while Campbell was 3 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs scored, including a double. McFadden was 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run, including a double.

Haley Anderson was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Kayla Reed was 2 for 3 with three runs scored and a run batted in.

"It was fun to get our bats going in the morning,'' Bray said. "We had a big double play from Ella Watts at third, a crucial leaping catch at short from Kynzee, and Tori (Victoria Placzek) did a great job pitching in relief.''

Game two was a different story, as Clarke broke it open with a five-run third inning. Emma Slayback pitched 4.1 innings of three-hit ball, allowing one earned run.

For CSM, Maycee Hays hit a double, and Maria Perez and Morgan Hensch had the only other safeties.

"We just got beat,'' Bray said. "They hit better than us and they pitched better than us. Their starting pitcher threw a really good game. It was definitely a different Clarke team than the one we beat on Saturday.''

CSM returns to action Saturday in Sioux Center, Iowa, facing Valley City (N.D.) State and Bellevue University indoors at the Dordt Dome.