Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ERIE, Pa. – Homeruns by the senior class leads the Mercyhurst University softball team to a sweep over Seton Hill University on Wednesday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Softball Field.  The Lakers improved to 15-24-1 overall on the season and are now 9-14-1 in the PSAC West.  Seton Hill fell to 19-15 on the season and dropped to 9-13 in the PSAC West.
 
Senior Courtney Smith tallied two homeruns for five RBIs in the doubleheader against the Griffins.  Senior Megan Smith also marked her season-high 9th homerun off of a two-run long ball to left center field.  Both seniors approached the 278 feet mark in their homeruns.
 
Mercyhurst took a 5-3 win in game one to mark the program's first victory against Seton Hill.  The Lakers drove in all five runs in the first two innings including three earned runs at the top of the first inning.  Junior Becky Malaga drove in the first RBI after tallying her first double of the day right before Courtney Smith drove in two more after her first homerun. 
 
The Lakers scored two more runs at the bottom of the second off of a two-out Mercyhurst rally.  Malaga drove in her second RBI of the contest after driving a single up the middle of the field and advanced freshman Rachel DiBartolomeo in scoring position at third base.  DiBartolomeo scored on a wild pitch during the next at bat.
 
Seton Hill answered back during the top of the third inning after Carlee Wickstrom tabbed three RBIs off of a homerun to deep right center.  However, junior pitcher Annie Truelove held the Griffins to just two more hits for the remaining four innings to capture her eighth win of the season.  Truelove allowed six hits for three earned runs and collected three strikeouts in seven complete innings.  Her counterpart Amanda Huff allowed five hits for five runs and struck out eight.
 
In game two, the Lakers drove in a season-high 13 runs in route to a 13-1 win over the Griffins.  The Lakers drove nine runs across the dish at the bottom of the fourth to also tab a team season-high and was the first time the team scored nine or more runs in a contest since April 11.
 
Junior Alexandra Puckly (7-8) allowed just one run for the third time this season in the win.   Puckly struck out four batters and helped herself by going 2-for-3 at the plate with a career-high two doubles in a game for two RBIs and one run scored.  Seton Hill's starting pitcher Hope Pehrson suffered her second loss on the mound (4-2) after allowing eight hits for nine runs in three complete innings pitched.
 
Mercyhurst took an early 2-0 lead after senior Courtney Smith drove in Megan Smith and DiBartolomeo.  Mercyhurst extended the lead 4-0 with a two-run double by Puckly at the top of the third inning before Seton Hill crossed the dish off of a throwing error by the Lakers defense at the top of the fourth to trail 4-1.
 
The Lakers offense then exploded at the bottom of the fourth after stringing together seven hits for the nine run inning.  DiBartolomeo (double), Courtney Smith (3-run homerun), Megan Smith (2-run homerun), and Puckly (double) all had multiple base hits while freshman Kyshwuanna Nance and sophomore Kayla Larson tabbed singles.  Also five different Lakers drove in RBIs throughout the inning.
 
Mercyhurst hosts No. 14 California (Pa.) at the Mercyhurst Softball Field on Friday, April 25 for their final PSAC West meeting of the regular season.  Mercyhurst is looking to take away their first win against CalU this season and ruin the Vulcans _­­PSAC West perfect record of 20-0.  First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.