ERIE, Pa. -- The Mercyhurst softball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division doubleheader with California (Pa.), losing 10-0 in five innings and then winning 8-1, at the Mercyhurst Softball Field on Monday.
Individual recaps are below.
Game One: California 10, Mercyhurst 0 (5 inn.)
Jamie Ward batted 2-for-2 while
Rachel DiBartolomeo and
Meghan Maranto added hits for the Lakers.
The visiting Vulcans scored twice in the third inning before blowing the game open with a six-run fourth. They tacked on two more scores in the fifth.
Kaity Finley went 3-for-3 for California with two runs and two RBI. Jacquelyn Fowler went 2-for-4 and scored three runs. Emily Price drove in three runs in support of winning pitcher
Portia McBride.
McBride allowed four hits in five innings of work. She recorded three strikeouts.
Heather Nye was the losing pitcher for Mercyhurst. She worked 2 2/3 innings and was charged with only two earned runs.
Game Two: Mercyhurst 8, California 1
Ellie Dougher went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run and one RBI to lead the Lakers, who jumped ahead with a three-run first inning and led the rest of the way. Starting pitcher
Anna Cochis made the lead standing up, allowing one run on eight hits while going the distance.
Also for the MU offense, Maranto and DiBartolomeo batted 2-for-4 while
Meredith Grimes went 2-for-3 with two runs. Maranto had two RBI and DiBartolomeo finished with one run, one RBI and one stolen base.
Jolene Teller scored two runs and
Emily Hair doubled.
Mercyhurst took its 3-0 lead in the first inning when two runs scored on a play in which Teller reached on a fielder's choice; she was credited with one RBI on the play. Maranto had an RBI single later in the inning.
California scored its sole run in the third inning on a home run from Emily Price.
Then, the Lakers tallied five unanswered runs.
In the fourth, Dougher had a RBI single and Egelston was credited with an RBI groundout.
Hair hit an RBI double in the fifth, pushing the Lakers to a 6-1 lead.
In the sixth, DiBartolomeo recorded an RBI single and then Maranto added her second RBI of the game via fielder's choice.
The Lakers (13-27-1, 6-10) will play again on Tuesday when they visit Clarion.