April 16, 2008

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst softball team was held to three hits in the opener, before exploding for eight runs in game two, but a four-run sixth inning sent the Lakers to a pair of losses to Notre Dame (Ohio) Wednesday. Mercyhurst lost game one 3-0 and game two 9-8.

Jessica McNurlen had three hits on the day, including a two-run home run in game two -- her sixth of the year. Amber Rapose went 2-for-4 in the second game and added her third homer of the season. Katherine Tompkins had just four at-bats on the season prior to the doubleheader but went 3-for-4 with an RBI in game two

Notre Dame scored twice in the second and once in the third in game one and pitcher Meredith Harbarger scattered three hits over seven innings for a complete game victory. Elizabeth Maier had two of the Lakers' three hits in the game.

Carrina Crow started and pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run. Brittany Strier came on to pitch the final 2 2/3 innings and gave up just one hit.

In the second game, Notre Dame's Jill Gigliotti hit a three-run homer in the top of the first and the Falcons added another run in the top of the second. Mercyhurst battled back with a Tompkins RBI single to make it 4-1 after two innings and then added four more runs in the third, highlighted by Rapose's two-run bomb, to take a 5-4 lead.

Notre Dame tied the score again in the top of the fourth but McNurlen hit her two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth and Erica Beidler had a pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the fifth as Mercyhurst took an 8-5 lead. Notre Dame, though, pushed across four runs in the sixth and held on for the 9-8 victory.

Notre Dame (Ohio) improves to 13-9 on the year and Mercyhurst falls to 17-23. The Lakers will play at Hillsdale Saturday at 1 p.m.