Mercyhurst 5, Slippery Rock 4
Mercyhurst 7, Slippery Rock 4
Slippery Rock, Pa. – Mercyhurst earned a pair of victories at Slippery Rock Wednesday, clinching a PSAC Tournament berth in the process. The Lakers downed The Rock, 5-4, in game one before prevailing, 7-4, in the nightcap.
With the sweep, the Lakers improve their record to 21-21, 7-7 in PSAC West play, completing the season sweep of The Rock. Mercyhurst is two games ahead SRU (22-19 , 5-9) for third place in the PSAC West with two games remaining. The Lakers have clinched a conference tournament berth for the first time since 2008, and fourth time under seventh-year head coach Sara Headley.
The Lakers had to come from behind to win game one, as they trailed 3-0 after five innings. Slippery Rock took a 1-0 lead with one run in the first, and added two in the third inning for the 3-0 advantage. Mercyhurst tied the score with three in the top of the sixth.
Julie Harmon led off the sixth with a pinch-hit single, followed by an Emily Redig single. Michelle Schmitz# singled in Harmon with a one-out single. After Redig scored on a wild pitch, Amber Rapose hit a towering drive to left that was misplayed by the outfielder, plating Schmitz for Mercyhurst's third run.
The Lakers added two in the top of the seventh, taking a 5-3 lead after RBI hits by Jen Bower and Elizabeth Maier. Slippery Rock drew to within one run at 5-4 with a solo home run, but Kristi Janoske got the final out for the 5-4 win.
Janoske earned her career-best 11th win on the season, allowing four runs, three earned, on nine hits. Lindsay Grace drew the loss, yielding one earned run on one hit in the final one and two-thirds innings.
In game two, the Lakers took a 2-0 lead on an Andrea Sauers double in the top of the second inning. Slippery Rock got one run back in the third, slicing the deficit to one at 2-1. Mercyhurst broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning. Sauers batted in Kara Gorgos, and Schmitz added an RBI single. Bower drove in two with a two-out double, giving Mercyhurst a 6-1 lead.
Slippery Rock chipped away at the lead with one run in the fourth and two in the fifth, drawing to within two runs at 6-4 before Janoske relieved Amanda Norman, getting the third out. Mercyhurst added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, and Janoske shut the door on a 7-4 victory.
Norman won, improving to 8-7 on the season, allowing one earned run on five hits in four and two-thirds innings. Janoske earned her third save with two and one-third hitless innings of relief. Shauna Walker drew the loss.
Sauers, Maier and Schmitz recorded two hits apiece, while Sauers drove in three runs, and Bower and Schmitz had two RBI.
The Lakers will conclude the 2010 regular season with a home doubleheader against Edinboro Saturday, April 17 at 1 p.m. It will be the final home twinbill for seniors Glomb, Megan Houston, Maier and Amber Rapose.
