MYRTLE BEACH, Sc. – The Mercyhurst softball team fell to both West Chester and Kutztown in its second day of competition in the Snow Bird Freeze Out Tournament. Individual recaps are below


Game one: West Chester 8, Mercyhurst 0 (5 inn.)
Action between the Lakers and Golden Rams was locked at 0-0 through the first 3 1/2 innings of play before WCU scored three runs in the fourth and five in the fifth.

Tori Pierucci threw for four innings and was charged with five earned runs. She allowed eight hits and gave up one walk.
 
Maegen Kavanugh was the winning pitcher for West Chester, throwing five no-hit innings. She recorded three strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter.

Madison Kelly, Alyssa Herion and Heidi McCollester went 2-for-3 for the Rams. McCollester ended the game with a solo home run. Cat Hammer added a two-run home run during the fifth.


 
Game two: Kutztown 5, Mercyhurst 4 (8 inn.)
The Lakers went into extra innings tied at 1-1 with Kutztown. The Bears pushed across four runs in the eighth before the Lakers scored three times, but ultimately fell short.

The Lakers were led by Jolene Teller, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Cassandra Egelston and Megan Christner both went 2-for-4. Egelston scored twice and Christner scored once.
 
Kutztown was headed by Sara Keeny, Jenna Lipowski and Taylor Knappenberger, who all went 2-for-4. Lipowski, and Knappenberger both earned two RBI each. Asja Saito also earned an RBI.
 
Kutztown opened up scoring in the third on an RBI double from Lipowski and held that 1-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth.
 
Teller brought the trailing Lakers into a 1-1 deadlock when she hit an RBI single, allowing Egelston to score.

Lipowski broke the tie for KU with an RBI single. Knappenberger added an RBI double and Saito had a sacrifice fly during the four-run frame.

The Lakers responded with three scores of their own. Paige Crittela had an RBI groundout, pulling Mercyhurst within 5-2. Teller added an RBI single to plate Egelston again and Christner later scored on an error, closing the margin to one run. The game ended on a flyout with a runner on third base.

Jackie Morell was the winning pitcher for Kutztown, going all eight innings. She was charged with one earned run while allowing 10 hits and zero walks.

Pierucci started in the pitcher's circle for Mercyhurst, working three innings and giving up one run on five hits. Jacqueline Gardner tossed three innings of shutout softball before Sarah Eschleman pitched the final two innings. Eschleman was tacked with the loss.