ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst University softball team came from behind in games one and two, to sweep Clarion (5-23, 4-18 PSAC) Friday afternoon at Mercyhurst Softball Field. The Lakers (12-20, 6-11 PSAC) came back from a six run deficit in the bottom of the fifth, to take game one, 8-7. Junior
Shannon Minihane was credited with the walk off single in game one, while
Emily Hair's RBI double to center field in game two gave Mercyhurst an 7-6 win in eight innings.
In the opener, the Lakers scored seven runs in their last three at-bats to erase the 7-1 deficit. Minihane drove in sophomore
Rachel DiBartolomeo with a two-out walk-off single to right in the last of the seventh. The hit made a winner of freshman lefthander
Heather Nye (2-2) who allowed only one run in relief of senior starter
Annie Truelove.
Clarion jumped on the Lakers for three in the first when senior Taylor Powell homered with two-on and two down. Mercyhurst got a run back in the bottom of the inning as DiBartolomeo singled home junior
Taylor Jezuit.
The Golden Eagles scored three more in the second and chased Truelove in the process. Clarion stroked five singles in the inning. Another batter reached base after being hit by a pitch.
The Clarion lead grew to 7-1 in the fourth when junior Christina Tressler hit a solo homerun.
Mercyhurst got back into the game by scoring four runs, all unearned, in the last of the fifth. Three scored on a muffed fly ball with two outs and the bases loaded, and the fourth scored on an ensuing double by freshman Hair.
The Lakers eventually tied the game at 7-7 in the last of the sixth when Jezuit recorded her second career homerun (both this season) - with one-on - against reliever Chelsea Zola (1-3). The blast came on a 3-and-2 offering. Zola had replaced starter Paige Baker earlier in the inning.
That set the stage for Minihane's heroics in the home seventh. DiBartomoleo reached on a one-out single and stole second before Minihane's game-winner.
Truelove pitched an inning-plus, allowing six runs – all earned – and five hits. Nye pitched superbly in relief, giving up only the long ball by Tressler in six innings of work.
In the nightcap, Mercyhurst scored two runs in the final frame, sending the game into extras tied at six. Hair would drive in DiBartolomeo with a one-out double to center field for her first career walk-off hit. Hair's double in the bottom of the eighth would help Nye (3-2) receive her second win of the day, as she relieved starting pitcher
Alexandra Puckly.
The Golden Eagles would again take an early lead, scoring two runs off a Lydia Middaugh homerun to left field. The Lakers would respond, scoring two runs of their own in the bottom half of the second. Minihane scored DiBartolomeo on a single to right field, while Minihane would later reach home on an error.
Mercyhurst grabbed the lead in the third, scoring another pair of runs off two singles from
Francesca Costanzo and
Cassandra Egelston. Costanzo and Egelston were both credited with RBIs, their third and fourth of the season respectively.
With the Lakers holding on to a 4-2 lead heading into the sixth, Clarion would put three runs across the plate to retake the lead, 5-4. Back-to-back singles from Carra Stevens and Megan Anderson drove in the three Golden Eagle runs.
Clarion would add another run in the top of the seventh to take a three run lead, 6-4. In the bottom half, Hair started the inning, reaching on an error, while a pinch hit double to right field by Truelove put runners in scoring position. Jezuit would drive in both runs with two outs, slapping a single to right field, knotting the game at six.
After Nye retired Clarion in order in the eighth, the Lakers would again be set up for a walk-off opportunity. This time, it was Hair who recorded the big base knock, driving in DiBartolomeo from second off a double to center field.
Nye finished game two, allowing no runs and no hits with two strikeouts as her record improves to 3-2.
Mercyhurst will be back in action tomorrow, April 18, at Slippery Rock for another Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division doubleheader. First pitch is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start. Live stats for Saturday's game can be viewed at the provided link.
Live Stats
