EDINBORO, Pa. – Edinboro softball returned home Saturday evening prepared to welcome the IUP Crimson Hawks to town for a Sunday afternoon doubleheader.

SATURDAY GAME ONE

Friday afternoon, the Fighting Scots were downed twice at the IUP home field. In game one, a three-run seventh got Edinboro within two runs. In fact, Edinboro struck first by way of a Cheyenne Shughart (Shermandsale, Pa./West Perry) single and a fielding error that brought Maura Pasquale (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) in to score.

The Hawks plated three in the bottom of the first, but the Scots responded with a three-run frame of their own to re-take the lead, 4-3.

Mackenzie Quider (Sanborn, N.Y./Niagara Wheatfield) singled to start the rally and Maya Kozup (Pittsburgh, Pa./Avonworth) followed with a double. Morgan Spitler (Lucas, Ohio./Lucas) moved a runner up and brought one across with a single, before Lauren Bush (Painesville, Ohio./Riverside) sacrifice bunted successfully for another run. Lauren Gierlak (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane) then reached on a fielder's choice and stole second to continue the momentum. Nya Adams (Finleyville, Pa./Ringgold) drove in the third run of the inning for Edinboro with a fielder's choice that scored Spitler.

IUP scored two more runs in the bottom of the third to go ahead 5-4, but the Scots were not done yet. Trailing 9-4 with a half inning left, Edinboro got a spark from Gierlak who smashed a double to center. Adams advanced Gierlak on a groundout, Pasquale worked a walk, and Shughart powered one over the centerfield fence for three RBI. Jolene Teller Sagamore Hills, Ohio./Nordonia) who returned to the lineup Friday singled before IUP got a groundout to end the game.

IUP took the 9-7 final.

SATURDAY GAME TWO

Bush got her first strikeout in the bottom of the first inning when she got Haliegh Zimmerman to go down swinging.

Stephanie Krick Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) singled to right field in the third.

Edinboro took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth when Pasquale singled and came across via Shughart's second home run of the afternoon.

IUP answered with one run in the bottom of the fourth despite another strikeout in the frame

The seventh opened with promise for the Scots as Teller led off the inning with an infield single to the pitcher, but she was stranded when the inning came to a close.

IUP used a double in the seventh for a 3-2 walk-off win.  

SUNDAY GAME ONE

IUP loaded the bases in the top of the first, but a double play would end the early threat. The play was initiated by Sral who threw to Spitler covering home and then onto first for the one-two-three double play.

The Hawks scored one run in the top of the second, but Boro came up with clutch defense to get out of the inning.

Spitler ended the frame by throwing out a runner by a wide margin at second.

Adams was robbed of a hit by the diving IUP right fielder's remarkable defensive effort.

IUP made it a 2-0 lead in the fifth with two doubles.

The Crimson Hawks' starting pitcher Hope Jones had a perfect game through 4 1/3 innings, before Teller broke it up with a single up the middle. Kearson Wagner (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley) traded places with Teller at first to pinch run.  

Kozup followed with a single but the Scots could not push a run across.

IUP opened the second with a single and sacrifice bunt to move a runner to second, then Adams made a stop and whipped it to first for the out. She saved another run with the final out of the half inning and she dove to her left and made the throw from a seated position as her teammates cheered her on.

Lexi Klatt (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) pinch hit to start he bottom of the sixth, hitting a hard line drive that bounced off the left field fence as she sped to second. Gierlak was next up and legged out an infield single. Adams then hit a low line drive into left field and base coach Joey Gierlak wisely held up Klatt at third, bringing up the Scots offensive leader, Pasquale.

The shortstop hit a shallow fly to left that found green grass and Klatt and Gierlak both scored to tie the game at two.

Shughart then worked a full count and walked to load the bases for Teller who grounded a ball into center field for two hits. Kayla Terwilliger (Getzville, N.Y./Williamsville East) came in to pinch run for Teller at first.

Quider hit a grounder that the IUP shortstop misplayed, allowing Edinboro to load the bases one again. Kozup then hit a grounder up the middle and scored another run on the fielder's choice. Edinboro led 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Spitler made it 6-2 with a run-scoring single, then a Klatt batted -ball went between the legs of the IUP shortstop and Edinboro went ahead, 7-2.

Gierlak struck again in the inning with a single, again loading the bases. Pasquale scored two with a hard-hit grounder into left field for the 9-2 lead.

It was a nine-run sixth inning for the Scots and Macy Sral (Lilly, Pa./Penn Cambria) came back on to try for the complete game win.

Sral got the first out of the bottom of the seventh on her own, fielding a soft grounder for the out. She then got two more outs to improve to 6-4 on the season.

SUNDAY GAME TWO

The Fighting Scots found themselves in an early 3-0 hole as IUP was able to collect a two-out rally.

The Hawks threatened again in the second as they loaded the bases with two outs but Bush forced a fly out to Gierlak in center.

Shughart got to first the hard way in the bottom of the second as she was hit by a pitch. Teller singled to move Shughart to second.

IUP almost scored in the bottom of the third as a throw from Edinboro left fielder Krick took a bad hop but Bush backed the throw up and held the runner on third.

Adams added another defensive gem to her highlight reel for the second out of the inning, diving to make a grab on a sharply-hit line drive. This follows a similar grab by the IUP second baseman in the top of the inning.

Shughart flew out to the warning track in the bottom of the fourth, coming up just short of her third home run of the series.

A two-run double in the fifth gave IUP the 5-0 lead.

In the sixth, an IUP homer made it 6-0 as dark clouds began to gather overhead.

Pasquale added a home run in the sixth to bring the score to 6-1 just as rain began to fall. The game was called early due to weather and field conditions.