March 29, 2007

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst faced cross-town rivals, the No. 15 Gannon Golden Knights, in a non-conference doubleheader at Gannon. The Lakers (8-11) defeated the Golden Knights (16-6), 15-5, in six innings in game one and the Golden Knights came back in game two to win 10-2 in six innings.

Game One

Four Lakers, Jen Feret, Kim Griffin, Jessica McNurlen, and Danielle Zubek went the distance combined for seven runs. Feret hit the long ball (eighth of the season) in the first inning to knock for two RBIs which was answered by the Golden Knights in the bottom of the first.

McNurlen hit a solo homerun, her first of the season, in the top of the second for the Lakers to take the lead. In the bottom of the third, Griffin hit a three-run blast, her first of the season, to synch the lead for the Lakers, 6-2.

Kadie Ondrus came in to pitch for the Golden Knights in the top of the fourth. The Lakers hit five singles, one double, one walk, and one hit-by-pitch to combine for six-runs to expand their lead to 12-2.

The Golden Knights answered a few of the runs by the Lakers in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the fifth innings. However, the Lakers built up too big of a lead for the Golden Knights to over come.

In the top of the sixth inning, Zubek added to the lead with a solo homerun, her first of the season. Two walks by Griffin and McNurlen and a sacrifice bunt by Maureen Bailey left two runners in scoring position led to an Ann Styn double to left center for two RBI's and the Lakers increased the led to ten, 15-5.

A last attempt by the Golden Knights in the bottom of the sixth was unsuccessful.

Griffin allowed 12 hits, two walks, and struck out five in six innings.

Game Two

The Golden Knights jumped out to an early led, 2-0, in the bottom of the first with two walks and a sacrifice bunt to place the runners in scoring position of a two RBI single up the middle by Casee Piquet.

In the bottom of the third, a wild pitch by Gannon's Kelsey Brickman put two Lakers in scoring position. An RBI single by Griffin closed the gap for the Lakers, 2-1.

The Lakers tied the game in the top of the fifth inning with double down the left field line by Feret scoring Erin Ratajczak, who singled up the middle and was advanced to second by a walk drawn by Megan Houston.

A grand slam by Jaclyn Corroto of the Golden Knights put the game out of reach for the Lakers, 6-2. In the bottom of the sixth, Gannon added two runs before the Lakers' Lisa Nazarenko came in to pitch for Brittany Strier. Nazarenko entered the game with runners on second and third. With two singles and two RBIs by the Gannon Golden Knights, the game was ended by the eight-run rule, 10-2.

Feret took the loss for the Lakers. She allowed five hits, five walks, six runs, and struck out one. Strier allowed four hits and three runs while Nazarenko allowed two hits and two walks in two-thirds innings.

The Lakers begin conference play in their home opener on Saturday, March 31st against Wayne State for a double-header starting at 1:00 p.m. Then face Hillsdale for another double-header on Sunday, April 1st at home.