Game 1:  Edinboro 5, Mercyhurst 2
Game 2:  Edinboro 3, Mercyhurst 2

EDINBORO, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst College softball team fell in both ends of a doubleheader against rival Edinboro on Friday, dropping a 5-2 decision in the opener before falling just short in the nightcap by a 3-2 count.

Edinboro improves to 12-9 overall, 4-2 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division play.  Meanwhile, Mercyhurst moves to 15-17 overall, 2-4 in the PSAC West.

In the opener, Edinboro used a five-run fourth inning to erase a 2-0 Mercyhurst lead.  

The Lakers opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first on Jen Bower's RBI-single that plated Elizabeth Maier.  In the second, the Lakers pushed a run across on a throwing error after Anna Glomb singled to open the frame.

Edinboro's tallies came via the longball as Jessica VanDamia opened with a solo shot and pitcher Beth Mullins added a three-run homer.

Mullins would go the distance to improve to 8-6 on the year, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits while striking out six.

Her counterpart, Kristi Janoske, fell to 7-11 on the year after allowing five earned runs on five hits in four innings of work.  Megan Hopton finished out the game for the Lakers in the circle, giving up just one hit in two innings.

In the secondhalf of the twinbill, Mercyhurst again opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first but Edinboro answered with two in the bottom half of the frame and one more in the fifth to take a 3-1 advantage.  

Mercyhurst's Maier singled with one out to start the game, then scored when Michelle Schmitz's single down the right field line was not handled cleanly by the Edinboro fielder.

Edinboro plated its two runs via another VanDamia homer and an RBI-single from Jade Thrower.  

The Lakers had a chance to tie the game in the third with a runner on second, but Schmitz's ball off the glove of Mullins landed safely in another Fighting Scots to stop the rally and what was likely a run from scoring.

Mullins RBI-single in the fifth added insurance for the Fighting Scots before a rallying Mercyhurst squad in the seventh put together a pair of singles by Glomb and Amber Rapose, with Kara Gorgos later driving in Rapose with one out.  However, Mullins was able to get out of the jam to complete the sweep.

Mullins (9-6) against went the distance, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits.  Amanda Norman picked up the loss for the Lakers, moving to 6-6 on the year after alloing three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six in six innings of work.

The Lakers are in action again for the fourth consecutive day when they host Slippery Rock on Saturday, April 3 for a 1 p.m. start.