The Culver-Stockton softball team dropped its opening game of the 2023 Heart of America Athletic Conference Softball Tournament 11-3 to top-seeded and 15^th-ranked Central Methodist University Thursday afternoon in Baldwin City, Kan.

The Wildcats fall into the loser's bracket and are scheduled to play Benedictine College (Kan.) in an elimination game Friday morning. The Ravens fell 2-0 to Grand View University in their opening game of the tournament.

Trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning when C-SC put together a two-out rally. Baylee Schneider started the uprising with a single and that was followed by a walk to Brylee Throgmorton. Selina Guzman followed with a double to score both runners and bring the Wildcats to within a run.

The momentum was short-lived; however, as the Eagles jumped on Wildcat starter Emma Roseberry for six runs in the bottom of the inning. Roseberry allowed a solo home run and a three-run homer in the inning as CMU put some distance between the two teams.

Guzman added a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning for the Wildcats' final run. Guzman collected two of C-SC's nine hits and drove in all three runs. Sophia Ashby and Myah Briese also recorded two hits for the Wildcats (20-31).