CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Mercyhurst University softball team was swept today, March 31 by Califorina (Pa.) University.  The Vulcans took game one with a 7-1 score and finished the sweep of the Lakers with a 6-4 tally in game two.
 
The two losses set the Lakers back to 17-16 overall and 2-4 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West play.  The Vulcans who were ranked 25^th nationally before dropping out of the most recent national poll holds a 21-5 overall record and a 3-1 PSAC West showing.
 
California (Pa.) handled Mercyhurst in game one as Hope Spancake pitched all seven innings allowing just one Laker to cross the plate.  Spancake earned her 10^th win of the season giving up three hits while striking out five.  Freshman Annie Truelove suffered the loss.  Truelove pitched five and a third innings giving up six runs and 10 hits.  Truelove now holds a 5-7 record thus far this season.
 
The Lakers lone run was scored by senior Samantha Eimers on a wild pitch.  Eimers went 2-2 in game one with a double and a stolen base.
 
Mercyhurst jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in game two, manufacturing four runs in the first inning.  Eimers led the inning off with her only hit of the contest, sending a single through the left side.  Junior Molly McNamara followed Eimers with a single of her own which set up a double steal placing both Eimers and McNamara into scoring position.  Freshman Shaina Bunker singled into right center driving home Eimers and advancing McNamara to third.  Later in the inning with two runners on, senior Jen Bower launched a home run to right center field.  Bower's home run concluded Mercyhurst's scoring for the rest of the inning.
 
After the first inning the Vulcan defense settled in and stifled the Laker offense for the remainder of the game.  Kaitlyn Schilling pitched a complete game for the Vulcans giving up seven hits and four runs in the win.  Five of the seven hits against Schilling came in the first inning. 
 
California (Pa.) plated two runs in the bottom of the first cutting the Lakers lead in half.  The Vulcans continued to chip away at the Mercyhurst lead, sending one run across the dish in the second and the fifth inning to tie game two at 4-4.  A wild pitch and a sac fly would put the Vulcans up two runs heading into the top half of the seventh inning.  Mercyhurst went down in order in the seventh marking its fourth loss in a row.
 
The Lakers will host Slippery Rock University in their next doubleheader on Tuesday, April 3.  Game time is set for a 2:30 first pitch.