Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ERIE, Pa. - Mercyhurst combined strong pitching with timely hitting to take a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) softball doubleheader from Edinboro Saturday by scores of 8-0 in five innings and 5-4 in eight. The victories – on Senior Day – snapped a four-game skid as the Lakers improved to 20-26 overall and to 7-9 in the PSAC. The Boro, which divided a twinbill with Mercyhurst earlier in the season, slipped to 8-23 and 5-11.

With the sweep, Mercyhurst clinched a PSAC Tournament berth and enters the tournament as the #2 seed from the Western Division. The Lakers will play Kutztown, the #2 seed in the Eastern Division, on Wednesday, May 1 in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, to open tournament play.

Sophomore Annie Truelove picked up the victory in the opener, allowing just three hits, all singles. The native of Columbus, Ohio, struck out four and walked only one.

Mercyhurst got on the board in the bottom of the second when freshman infielder Allison Yule singled home senior Kristen Fyffe.  

The Lakers plated two more in the third on base hits by Courtney Smith, Megan Smith, Fyffe, and Taylor Jezuit.
Mercyhurst  then broke the game open with three more runs in the fourth. The inning included singles by Yule and Shaina Bunker, a double by Kayleigh Milliman, a walk and a hit batter.

The game ended abruptly in the bottom of the fifth.  Julie Harmon started things with a double. One out later, Harmon scored on a base hit by Molly McNamara, who then scampered around the bases on a two-bagger by Courtney Smith.

Senior Amanda Shields (6-14) started for the Fighting Scots, but was pulled in favor of senior Roxanne Herrington with one out in the fourth. Herrington got the final two outs in the fourth, but was victimized for the game-winning runs an inning later.

The Lakers had 15 hits in the first game, three doubles and a dozen singles. Edinboro pitchers totaled a strikeout, a walk, and a hit batter in the contest – all of which came in the Lakers' three run fourth.

The second game proved to be the more-entertaining as Mercyhurst senior Megan Hopton and Edinboro first-game starter, Amanda Shields, limited their opponents to a run apiece through five.

Senior Marissa Pullo got the Boro's first run of the day in the third with an inside-the-park homerun. Her drive to right field was misjudged and eventually eluded Fyffe's outstretched glove and rolled all the way to the fence. Pullo circled the bases before a play could be made.

The Lakers got the equalizer in the bottom of the third without the benefit of a hit as Courtney Smith scored on the back end of a double steal.

The Lakers squandered several scoring chances in the first five innings, leaving the bases loaded in both the second and fourth without scoring. Edinboro wasted a first-and-third, no-out situation in the fifth when Jezuit dove to her left to snare an attempted bunt and turned a double play on the runner at first. The next Edinboro batter struck out swinging.

Mercyhurst took a 3-1 lead in the last of the sixth on base hits by Jezuit, McNamara, and Courtney Smith and a fielder's choice.  

But the lead didn't hold up. The Fighting Scots bunched four hits and a walk in the seventh, the last two singles against reliever Annie Truelove, to take a 4-3 lead. 

But Mercyhurst sent the game to extras with an unearned run in the bottom half. Megan Smith reached on an infield error, was sacrificed to second by senior Amanda Walker, and scored on a two-out hit by Jezuit.

The Scots went quietly in the eighth and the Lakers ended game two in the bottom half of the frame. Yule singled to center to lead off, was bunted to second by McNamara and, after a hit batter, scored on a single down the left line by Bunker.

Although missing out on a save opportunity, Truelove picked up her second win of the afternoon as she evened her record at 8-8. Shields (6-15) pitched a much-better second game, but was saddled with the loss.

Courtney Smith led the Lakers with five hits in the twinbill. She also scored twice and drove in three. Jezuit added four hits and played solidly behind the plate. A quartet of Lakers had three hits apiece on the afternoon.

Before the doubleheader, the Lakers recognized five seniors: infielder Julie Harmon, outfielders Kristen Fyffe, Molly McNamara, and Amanda Walker, and pitcher Megan Hopton.

The Lakers will entertain Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Those games will conclude the regular season.