Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Onondaga Softball dropped their home opener series to NJCAA Division II opponent, Mercyhurst North East on Sunday afternoon.
 
 
Game One: Onondaga 1, Mercyhurst 2
 
The Saints put two runners on in the top of the first, but Alyssa Durrette pitched her way out the jam by forcing a pop up to first base to leave the runners stranded at second and third. Amanda Prell earned a walk in the bottom of the first but three Lazers fell victim to Lei Guthrie's game-high 11 strikeouts to end the inning.
 
The top of the second started with a Mercyhurst double to left-center field, but the Lazers defense remained unfazed. Casey Gray snagged a grounder for out number one and Alyssa Durrette earned the strikeout in an 8-pitch at bat for the second out. The Saints put the first run on the scoreboard with a blast to center field, but the quick arm of Emily Clapper threw the ball to third base and Nicole Sheffer caught the runner off guard with a toss to Casey Gray at second for the final out of the inning.
 
Jazz Powless hit a lead-off triple to right field in the bottom of the second, but Onondaga base-running left them scoreless. Powless got picked off at the plate on a fielder's choice for the first out and Mati Ponsetti got caught in a rundown trying to steal third for out number two. The third out came from a strikeout by Nicole Sheffer, leaving Emily Clapper stranded on second.
 
Onondaga put down Mercyhurst 1-2-3 to start the third inning. Alyssa Durrette started it with a strikeout, followed by a line out to right field, and a pop up to second base. Mercyhurst's Guthrie responded with two straight strikeouts to start the bottom of the third inning, followed by a groundout to second base by Casey Gray.
 
Alyssa Durrette gave up a walk to lead off the fourth inning, but the Lazers defense backed her up with their gloves. Nicole Sheffer handled the sacrifice bunt up the third baseline perfectly for the first out of the inning. Casey Gray stole a single from the Saints as she snagged a line to the gap for the second out, and Emily Robords ran down a fly ball to right field for the final out.
 
Amanda Prell earned a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fourth, and Alyssa Durrette moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt up the third base line. Coach Bob Bates called in Leandra Holmes to pinch run for Prell, and Mati Ponsetti got it done at the plate with an RBI-single to center field to tie the game at one run apiece.
 
Katelyn Stubbs showed off her speed in the fifth inning. She ran down three fly balls in left field to keep the Saints scoreless in the top of the inning, and after earning a two-out walk in the bottom half, Stubbs stole second, advanced to third on the Saints error, but was left stranded.
 
Alyssa Durrette gave up two walks in the top half of the sixth, and Mercyhurst's Megan Minihane took advantage with an RBI single to center to take the, 2-1, lead. Lei Guthrie protected the Saints lead in the bottom half by striking out three straight Lazers.
 
Onondaga's defense did their job in the top of the seventh by keeping the visitors scoreless with a three straight outs, but Mercyhurst closed the game with three straight outs of their own to win the first game of the afternoon.

Mati Ponseti and Jazz Powless had the only hits for the Lazers and Ponseti added one RBI. Alyssa Durrette took the loss, striking out 2 and giving up 2 runs on 5 hits in her complete game effort.
 
 
Game Two: Onondaga 2, Mercyhurst 8
 
After a fly out to left field to start game two, Mercyhurst threatened with a single to center and Kaelyn Shea moved to third with a sacrifice bunt and pass ball, but Tori Duffy kept the Saints scoreless with a strikeout to end the top of the first. The Lazers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half with strikeouts coming from Katelyn Stubbs and Amanda Prell.
 
The Saints put two runs on the board in the second inning by taking advantage of an OCC error and added a stolen base and two hits. Despite a lead-off walk by Tori Duffy to start the bottom half, Onondaga was unable to capitalize.
 
Mercyhurst added two more runs to start the third with three hits and a double.  Nicole Sheffer's quick thinking earned the second out of the inning when she picked off the runner on second base, and Duffy forced a fly ball to center for the final out. Lea Theisen continued to hold the Lazers hitless in the bottom half of the third when Courtney Piazza popped out to the catcher, Emily Clapper struck out, and Katelyn Stubbs lined out to center field.
 
Onondaga held Mercyhurst to just one run in the top of the fourth, thanks to the fast reaction of Nicole Sheffer as she threw out a potential run at home plate. Jazz Powless broke the no-hitter when she legged out an infield single in the bottom half of the fourth, but the Lazers remained scoreless.
 
After taking the Saints down 1-2-3 at the top of the fifth, the Lazers bats ignited. Mati Ponsetti punched a double to the gap in left-center, followed by a RBI double to the left field fence by Courtney Piazza. Piazza was able to advance to third on a groundout by Tash Martin and then scored on a pass ball.
 
The Lazers held the visitors scoreless through the top of the sixth as Tori Duffy put the Saints down with three straight outs. Casey Gray began the bottom half with a single to right field, but the Lazers smashed three hits right at the Saints defense to end the inning.
 
Mercyhurst strung together a walk, error, and two hits in the top of the seventh to add three runs to their lead, leaving Onondaga unable to recover in the bottom of the seventh, falling to the Saints, 8-2.
 
Casey Gray, Jazz Powless, Mati Ponsetti, and Courtney Piazza all had hits for the Lazers, with Ponsetti and Piazza each hitting doubles. Tori Duffy gave up 8 runs on 7 hits with 3 strikeouts in 6 innings of work, while Rae Printup closed the game by giving up just one hit and striking out one.
 

The Lazers look to rebound this Saturday as they host Columbia Greene Community College at the Onondaga Softball Complex. The doubleheader will begin at 1:00pm.