CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle softball team opened up a four-game home slate for the weekend on Friday afternoon, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Mercyhurst at Memorial Stadium. The first game went to the Lakers by a 6-3 score, while the second was a 17-5 victory for Mercyhurst.
 
Game 1: Mercyhurst 6, Clarion 3
Recap: The two sides traded runs in the first inning, with Allison DeJidas driving a double to deep left field to score Anna O'Geen, and Tori Martrano hitting a shot to nearly the exact same spot to plate Carissa Giordano and even the score at 1-1. That would be the extent of the scoring until the fourth inning as Emma Hipps and Michaela Schramski settled in.
 
The Lakers scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning, starting when Brianne Egleston reached on a fielder's choice and advanced on a pass balled. She came around to score on an error by shortstop Emily Buchleitner, rushing around from second with two outs. Francesca Latino scored Eliza Reynolds with a double to right field, making it 3-1. Clarion got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth after Brooke McCanna reached with a one-out walk. She took second on a wild pitch and Carissa Giordano did the rest, smacking a double to the left field wall that cut the lead to 3-2.
 
Another pair of unearned runs came in the sixth inning, after an error at second base allowed Karli Kasten to score from second base. Anna O'Geen swatted an RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Kacie Irwin with two outs, giving the Lakers a 5-2 advantage. They tacked on a sixth run in the seventh inning for insurance, though Rachel Helsley cut into that deficit when she scored Alyssa Stitt on a fielder's choice to third base.
 
Giordano and Martrano both recorded two hits, including a double and an RBI, while Buchleitner and Lauren Hartman each stole bases. Hipps took the pitching loss, allowing six runs in seven innings of action, though only two of those runs were earned. She struck out five and walked just two.
 
Game 2: Mercyhurst 17, Clarion 5
Recap: Those looking solely at the final score of the second game might miss the fact that the contest was actually dead even through five innings of action, as the Golden Eagles rallied from deficits of 4-0 and 5-3 to pull even with the Lakers late in the game. Mercyhurst touched up starter Angelina Pepe for four runs in the first two innings, but Clarion got three of those back in a big third inning.
 
Pepe herself started the rally, leading off the inning with a single. Kathryn O'Horo pulled a single down the left field line and Giordano was hit in the knee by a pitch to load the bases, and Tori Martrano brought the first run across with a groundout to second base. Allison Gilliam provided the big hit, knocking a two-run single down the left field line to score Giordano and O'Horo to make it a 4-3 game.
 
Mercyhurst made it 5-3 in the top of the fourth inning, but Clarion was able to pull even in the fifth inning with the team's first home run at home of the season. Giordano led off the inning with a single and Stitt did the rest, bombing her fourth home run of the season over the left field fence to even the score at 5-5.
 
From there, though, the Lakers proceeded to erupt at the plate. Mercyhurst scored 12 combined runs over the next two innings, finishing the game with 25 total hits as they eliminated doubt of the result.
 
Stitt finished the day 1-for-4 with a home run, while Annika Smith went 2-for-3. Pepe finished the game having throw 5.1 innings, allowing seven runs.
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