ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst softball team closed their home series vs. Le Moyne this afternoon with a doubleheader. This was a crucial series for both teams because they were separated by one game in the NEC standings. Le Moyne was fourth and Mercyhurst was fifth. Both games today were close, but the Dolphins pulled away in each one, 6-2, and 3-2, respectively. 
 
Le Moyne (13-30, 10-10 NEC) opened their half of the first game with an RBI single to right center field. They held off the Lakers in the bottom half and led by one. Mercyhurst (9-29, 8-12 NEC) responded in the bottom of the second. Natasha McLellan-Tam singled and advanced to third on Natalie Cully's hit. Shailene Riemedio's RBI single allowed McLellan-Tam to score, tying the game at one.
 
In the fourth frame, the Dolphins regained momentum, scoring twice. Both runs were driven in by RBI singles and pinch runners scored. The Lakers answered with a run as Cully scored off a single from Brynna King. Both sides remained strong defensively until the sixth inning. Here, Le Moyne added another run on a passed ball. The final inning saw Le Moyne extend their lead. One runner scored on a passed ball, and another one scored on a sacrifice fly. The Lakers could not mount a comeback and fell, 6-2.
 
The second game was marked by excellent pitching and defensive plays on both sides. In fact, the first inning saw a one-two-three as both starting lineups had their top of the order retired. Both Gabriella DeLuca and the Dolphin's pitcher remained resilient until the fourth inning. Here, Le Moyne (14-30, 11-10 NEC) took the lead on an RBI double to right field, bringing in their pinch runner. 
 
Mercyhurst (9-29, 8-13 NEC) responded in the fifth frame. DeLuca hit an RBI infield single allowing Alana Stuart to score and tie the game. In the sixth inning, the Dolphins regained the lead by scoring two runs. One run was an RBI single and the other was from an error. After the top of the sixth, Le Moyne was ahead 3-1. In the bottom of the sixth, Avarie Mays stepped up and smashed a solo moonshot to center field to cut the Lakers' deficit. The Dolphins managed to hold them off again and prevent the walk off as they secured the series with a 3-2 win. 
 
The Lakers will continue their consecutive stretch of games as they travel to Niagara tomorrow. The doubleheader is set to begin at 3 p.m. and viewers can find live coverage on ESPN+.