ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst softball team split a pair of games against Gannon on Wednesday during Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action.
Individual game recaps are below.
Game One: Gannon 8, Mercyhurst 7
Rachel DiBartolomeo drove in five runs for the Lakers, including three on a game-tying home run in the sixth inning, but Gannon's Kherrin Morgan eventually came through with a walkoff RBI single to end the game.
DiBartolomeo finished 3-for-4 at the plate. She also had two doubles.
Cassandra Egelston added a 3-for-4 game with two RBI. She had RBI singles in both the second and fourth innings.
Jamie Ward was 2-for-4 with a double.
Egelston put the Lakers ahead 1-0 in the second inning before Gannon came back with two runs in the second and four in the third to snag a 6-1 advantage.
Egelston had her second RBI single during the fourth and then DiBartolomeo hammered a two-out, two-run double later in the frame as the Lakers closed their deficit to 6-4.
After the Knights extended their lead to 7-4, Mercyhurst tied the contest on DiBartolomeo's three run bomb in the sixth. That accounted for Mercyhurst's final runs.
Heather Nye was the losing pitcher. She worked 5 1/3 innings, starting and finishing the game with a relief pitcher in-between. She was charged with two earned runs while allowing eight hits. Nye recorded four strikeouts, three walks and one hit batsman.
Madi Beining was the winning pitcher for Gannon.
Game Two: Mercyhurst 7, Gannon 3
Three-run home runs by DiBartolomeo and
Jolene Teller fueled the Mercyhurst attack to victory.
Teller went 3-for-4 with four RBI. DiBartolomeo was 2-for-2 with three runs, three RBI and stolen base. She also doubled.
Teller had an RBI single in the second inning, cutting the Lakers' deficit to 2-1 at the time.
DiBartolomeo put the Lakers ahead, 4-2, with her home run; MU led the rest of the game.
After Gannon pushed across its final run, closing the gap to 4-3, Teller's dinger in the seventh provided Mercyhurst some insurance.
Anna Cochis was credited with the win for Mercyhurst, pitching all seven innings and striking out five batters and allowing zero walks. She scattered nine hits and was charged with two earned runs.
The Lakers will play next on Friday at California (Pa.).
