Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BELMONT, N.C. – The Mercyhurst University softball team swept Belmont Abbey 4-3, and 7-1 on Friday to open its 2013 regular season.  Junior Megan Smith went 4-for-6 in the two games, including a solo homerun to lead Mercyhurst.
 
The Lakers are 2-0 overall this season making it back-to-back years that Mercyhurst has swept its opening doubleheader.  Belmont Abbey falls to 1-5-0.
 
Mercyhurst had a four run explosion in the second inning of the opener. The big inning came after the Lakers escaped a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the first.  Megan Smith led off  the second inning with a single to the outfield.  She advanced to second when senior Kristen Fyffe was hit by a pitch.  Freshman Tawny Godin bunted for a hit to lod the bases. Junior Kayleigh Milliman drew a walk to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead.  The Lakers then scored on two wild pitches and a single by senior Molly McNamara.
 
The Lakers held the 4-0 lead until the bottom of the fourth when Belmont Abbey scored its three runs.  Kinsey McClure reached on a one-out error and then was immediately replaced by Kaitlyn Jones.  Nikki Faust drew a walk and Shanie McConnell followed with a sacrifice bunt to move the players up one base.  Jones scored on a second Laker error and, one batter later,  Belmont Abbey executed a double steal to cut the lead 4-2. 
 
Brooke Baliles completed the rally by hitting an RBI single.  But the Lakers defense held Belmont Abbey from that point as Mercyhurst prevailed 4-3 in game one.
 
Mercyhurst senior pitcher Megan Hopton picked up her first win of the season.  In 6.1 innings, she allowed four hits, four walks, three unearned runs and had one strikeout.  Sophomore Annie Truelove recorded her first save of the season, getting the final two outs.
 
In game two, the Lakers struck first in the opening inning.  Freshman Allison Yule walked, then moved to second on a passed ball.   Junior Courtney Smith and sophomore Becky Malaga both singled to load the base. Yule scored the first Laker run on an error by the catcher.  Courtney Smith scored the second Lakers' run when Fyffe hit a single to left field. 
 
With two outs in the top of the second, senior Molly McNamara singled up the middle.  Courtney Smith followed suit, collecting her second hit of the game down the right field as McNamara advanced to third base.  McNamara score the Lakers third run of the game on an outfield error. 
 
Mercyhurst combined two singles with a pair of doubles to tack on three more runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 6-0.  
 
The Lakers finished their scoring with a run in the top of the sixth on a Megan Smith homerun.  The blast was the ninth of her career. 
 
Belmont Abbey's only run came in the sixth inning when Shannon Arthur led off with an infield single.  Arthur advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Courtney Barrineau single. 
 
The Lakers had 13 hits to Belmont Abbey's one in game two.  Truelove was on the mound for the entire seven innings for Mercyhurst, giving up one hit, one run, three walks and one strikeout.  
 
Mercyhurst is back in action tomorrow, Saturday, February 9 at Queens University in Charlotte in North Carolina.  The double header is set for to start at 1:00 p.m.