ERIE, Pa. - The Edinboro softball team split a twinbill on Thursday at Mercyhurst, winning game one, 4-1, before falling in game two, 6-2. The doubleheader, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 7, had been postponed three times this season due to inclement weather. The Fighting Scots now stand at 6-21 overall with a 2-12 mark in the PSAC West, while the Lakers are 7-29 on the year with a 4-12 record in conference play.
Edinboro, who is set to play three more doubleheaders over the next four days, will travel to Gannon tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m. The Scots will then return home to face the Lakers on Saturday with the doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Game 1: Edinboro 4, Mercyhurst 1
Danna Heh put the Fighting Scots ahead with a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Heh was able to score on a throw, while Olivia Jankowski stole second. Edinboro's lead increased to 2-1 in the top of the third, as Heather Barrett hit a long ball to left field, marking her first home run of the year. Mercyhurst would cut the lead in the bottom half of the inning. But with one out in the top of the sixth and Brittany Allen, Olivia Jankowski and Abigail Sallot on base, Victoria Allocco put the Scots up for good. Allocco hit a two-run RBI single through the left side, extending the Fighting Scot lead to 4-1. Heh and Jankowski accounted for two hits apiece and two stolen bases each for Edinboro. Carley Nasca took the win, as she pitched the full game improving to 3-7 on the year. She allowed one run off four hits with two strikeouts. Mercyhurst's Tori Pierucci fell to 4-13 on the campaign. She all went the distance for the Lakers, pitching all 7.0 innings, allowing seven hits with four errors.
Game 2: Mercyhurst 6, Edinboro 2
Mercyhurst jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the first three innings, scoring a run in the second and third innings, respectively. The Laker lead would be trimmed in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Olivia Jankowski would reach on an error by Jolene Teller, thus allowing Lauren Gierlak to score. Mercyhurst tacked on two more runs for a 4-1 advantage in the fifth. Edinboro would come to within 4-2 on Victoria Allocco's third homer of the year in the sixth, but that's as close as the Fighting Scots would get. The Fighting Scots out-hit the Lakers 9-8, with Heh and Shannon Gilbert leading Edinboro with two hits apiece. Heh was 2 for 3 with a triple. Jankowski led Edinboro with two stolen bases. Kerri Stevens allowed two runs off two hits in 2.1 innings pitched. Amanda Metz was in the circle for the remaining 3.2 innings. Heather Nye improved to 2-7 on the year. She was in the circle all 7.0 innings.
