ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst softball team split their home opening doubleheader against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opponent Slippery Rock. The Lakers claimed game one by a score of 4-0, before falling 7-4 in game two individual game recaps below.
 
Game One- Mercyhurst: 4 Slippery Rock: 0
Jolene Teller led the Lakers going 2-for-3 in the batters bock as well as recording a RBI. Sarah Koscho went 1-for-2 and recorded a RBI. Emma LeGendre went 1-for-3 and recorded a RBI while Lindsey Parese recorded a RBI.
 
The Lakers shot out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Teller knocked in Cassandra Egelston to score the game's opening run. Parese was able to score Teller when she flied out to center field.
 
After a scoreless two innings LeGendre pushed the Lakers to a 3-0 lead when she he a RBI double down center field scoring Parese.
 
The Lakers collected their final run off of Koscho's bat when she smacked a RBI single scoring Megan Christner.
 
Tori Pierucci was the winning pitcher for the Lakers she struck out seven of 24 batters faced. She allowed three hits, no walks, and was charged with no earned runs.
 
Game Two- Mercyhurst: 4 Slippery Rock: 7
Emma LeGendre led the Lakers during the second half of the doubleheader going 3-for-3 and recording a RBI. Taylor Fry went 2-for-3 in the batter's box, while Ariana Brone, Ellie Dougher, and Jenna Balducci both went 1-for-3. Dougher, Koscho and Brone all recorded a RBI apiece.
 
Slippery Rock earned the game's opening two runs in the second inning, off of a two run homer from Rebecca Roesch. Slippery Rock would stretch its lead to 4-0 in the third inning, where Lauren Hawley hit a RBI single, and Roesch earned her second RBI of the game.
 
The Lakers would shorten Slippery Rocks lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third, Dougher hit a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher, scoring Fry.
 
Slippery Rock responded with their own run in the top of the fourth when MacKenzie Garland knocked in a homerun.
 
Brone and LeGendre both recorded a RBI in the bottom of the fourth shortening Slippery Rock's lead to 5-3. Brone pushed in Koscho, while LeGendre's RBI double knocked in Fry.
 
Both teams would score their final runs of the game during the seventh inning, in which Slippery Rock earned a run from the bat of Kailey Myers.
 
Mercyhurst responded in the final inning with Koscho flying out to centerfield but driving in Paige Critella.
 
 
The Lakers will play again next on Friday when they host California (Pa) in a PSAC doubleheader at 2:30pm and 4:30 pm