GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Mercyhurst University softball team dropped a pair of games Sunday afternoon at Seton Hill. The Lakers (9-17, 3-8 PSAC) fell in game one of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division contest, 8-2. Mercyhurst would lead the Griffins 2-0 after three and half innings, but Seton Hill (19-8-1, 11-6-1 PSAC) scored four unanswered runs, to win, 4-2.
Mercyhurst put the first two runs across the plate in game one. After starting Griffin pitcher Hope Pehrson walked
Francesca Costanzo to lead off the top of the third and,
Rachel DiBartolomeo beat out an infield to put runners on first and third.
Becky Malaga would drive in both runs as she ripped a single down the right field line with two outs.
The Griffins would waste no time, responding with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the third. Seton Hill's Caitlin Tobin walked to lead off the inning and came around to score on throwing errors, to cut the lead in half, 2-1. Back-to-back hits would allow a second run to score to knot the game at two.
Seton Hill would break the tie in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs on four hits. Carlee Wickstrom applied the damage as she hit a one out grand slam to give the Griffins a 6-2 lead. They would add two more runs on the sixth, to win, 8-2.
Kayla Larson,
Alissa Petrosoniak, Malaga and DiBartolomeo all recorded singles for the Lakers with Malaga earning both RBIs.
Starting pitcher
Annie Truelove (4-9) receives the loss, pitching three and one-third innings and allowing five runs.
Alexandra Puckly came in for relief and pitched the final two and two-thirds innings. She allowed three runs on four hits. Reliever Christine Henderson (6-2) earned the win for the Griffins.
Malaga started off a two run rally in the top of the fourth in game two, when she singled to center field.
Courtney Brothers followed with a double down the right field line, putting runners on second and third with one out. Larson's single on the ensuing at-bat would drive in one run, while Brothers would score on an error by the center fielder.
Again, Seton Hill would answer the Mercyhurst lead and score two runs in the bottom half of the fourth on one hit and three errors, to tie the game at two.
The Griffins would take the lead in the sixth, scoring two runs on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Amanda Huff.
Each team ended game two with five hits with Larson being the only player to record multiple hits. After going six-for-eight with four RBIs in yesterday's home doubleheader against Gannon, Larson continued her hot hitting, completing the day three-for-six with an RBI.
Heather Nye and Malaga each finished game two with singles, while Brothers recorded her third double of the season.
Nye pitched a complete game, going six innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on five hits. Her record falls to 1-2 with the loss. Huff (7-5) receives the win for Seton Hill, pitching two innings and allowing one hit.Mercyhurst will be back in action tomorrow at Clarion with game one expected to start at 2:30 p.m.
