Even though the Lady Bears played a much better brand of Softball, Saturday on Day 2 of the Mardi Gras Invitational, they were unable to past tough competition, falling 10-4 to No. 21 Parkland and 7-3 to Alvin.
 
"We played some really good teams and had opportunities, but we have to do a better job of taking advantage of those opportunities," Southwest head coach Shea Johnson said. "I thought at the tournament went on and even though the competition got harder and harder, we played better."
 
In the first contest against Parkland, the Lady Bears (0-4) got off to a positive start in the first, getting a 1-2-3 inning.
 
In the second, however, they lost momentum as Parkland plated five runs.
 
Southwest answered back in the bottom half of the inning when Alyssa Leggett doubled to center bringing Kate Clements home making it a 5-1 game.
 
Parkland unfortunately added to its lead in the fourth with two runs increasing the deficit for the Lady Bears to six at 7-1. Southwest cut into the lead in the bottom half of the inning as Erin Acey drew a bases-loaded walk. But it was answered in the fifth with a solo home run making the score 8-2.
 
In the bottom half of the fifth, Clements recorded an RBI single, scoring Allie Ladnier pulling the Lady Bears within five at 8-3.
 
After Parkland pushed two more runs across in the sixth, Southwest got its final run in the seventh on a Clements double, bringing Maggie Wilks home.
 
Clements led Southwest going 2-for-2 with one run scored and two RBIs.
 
In the second game against Alvin, the Lady Bears fell behind 1-0 in the first inning following a pair of Dolphin singles.
 
However, in the second inning, Southwest responded to tie the game at 1 following an RBI single from Leggett scoring Clements.
 
The back-and-forth tussle continued in the bottom half of the second as Alvin jumped back on top at 3-1 following a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single.
 
But the Lady Bears rallied once again in the third. An Allie Ladnier single scored Liberty Gillihan before Ladnier touched home when Corin Talbot reached on an error. When the dust settled, the score was tied at 3.
 
The score stayed true until the sixth when the Alvin loaded the bases, threatening with the go-ahead run. Southwest had two outs and was looking to get out of the jam, but a grand slam gave the Dolphins the upper hand once again.
 
Despite putting a base runner on in the top of the seventh, the Lady Bears couldn't keep the rally going as Alvin took the win.
 
Clements shined once again for the Lady Bears, going 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored.
 
Southwest will have its home opener on Tuesday with a doubleheader against John Melvin at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.