Box Score 1

HICKORY, N.C.- The Mercyhurst University softball team split with Lenoir-Rhyne University Sunday afternoon.  The Lakers (4-2) took game one 3-2 before the Bears (4-2) staged a sixth inning rally to win the nightcap 6-4.
 
Junior Courtney Smith went five for seven at the plate in the two game series, while senior Megan Hopton picked up her third straight win with a career-high six strike outs against the Bears in game one. 
 
In the opener, both teams had a total of eight hits but Lenior-Rhyne tallied the first two runs in the bottom of the first and held the lead for four innings.  The Lakers tied the contest in the top of the fifth, getting two runs on a homerun from freshman Allison Yule and back-to-back doubles by senior Molly McNamara and Smith.
 
The Lakers scored the eventual winning run in the top of the sixth.  Senior Kristen Fyffe singled  and moved to second when junior Kayleigh Milliman was hit by pitch.  Freshman Taylor Jezuit laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt and McNamara put a ball in play to plate Fyffe. 
 
Hopton is now 3-0 in the early season. She pitched all seven innings for the Lakers and allowed eight hits, two runs, two walks while fanning six batters.
 
In the second game, the Lakers took the early  lead, scoring an unearned run in the second inning. 
 
Lenior-Rhyne answered with two runs in the bottom of the third. The Bears tied the contest on two walks and two hit batters. Katie Carpenter's single drove in the second run.
 
Mercyhurst responded with two runsin the fifth and one more in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead. But the Bears retaliated in the last of the sixth, scoring four runs on three hits. A  two-out,  two-run single pushed across the go-ahead runs.  
 
Sophomore Annie Truelove pitched five-plus innings giving up seven hits, four runs and, three walks while striking out two.  Junior Megan Smith relieved Truelove two batters into the sixth and allowed two runs on one hit and recorded two strike outs.
 
The Lakers wil travel to Boca Raton, Florida, to face Lynn University on Sunday, February 24 beginning at 12:00 p.m.