SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.- The Slippery Rock University softball team opened the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division portion of the schedule with a 1-1 split of Mercyhurst University Monday afternoon at the SRU Softball Complex.
 
The Lakers scored four runs in the first inning of Game One en route to a 5-2 opening win, before The Rock battled back in the second half of Game Two to claim the 7-6 victory.
 
Slippery Rock moves to 7-12 overall and 1-1 in the PSAC, while Mercyhurst's record goes to 7-13-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
 
Game One: Mercyhurst 5, Slippery Rock 2
The Rock got out to a tough start as the Lakers scored four runs on four hits in the opening inning.
 
In the third inning, Lauren Hawley smacked a two-run single to centerfield that scored Emily Nagle and Megan Brown, who reached base on singles.
 
Mercyhurst added an insurance run in the fifth inning to secure the win.
 
Brown's two hits and Hawley's two RBI lead The Rock.
 
Carly DeRose took the loss after surrendering four first-inning runs and striking out two in 2.1 innings of work. Paige Flore and Andria Copelli both saw 2.1 innings of relief.
 
Game Two: Slippery Rock 7, Mercyhurst 6
The Lakers took a one-run lead in the top of the first inning before Hawley put SRU on the board in the bottom of the inning with an RBI-single to right field that scored Nagle. 
 
With four Laker runners on base via walks in the second inning, Emily Hair blasted a grand slam to give her team a 5-1 lead.
 
The Rock scored three runs in the third inning, sparked by Caitlin Baxter's third homerun of the season. Lauren Hawley doubled to left field the next at-bat and McKenzie Garland reached on a fielding error, which scored Caitlyn MacKelvey, who pinch ran for Hawley. Nicole Siciliano recorded an RBI-single to left center to score Garland and cut it to 5-4.
 
Rachel DiBartolomeo homered to right field in the fourth inning to give Mercyhurst its last run of the afternoon.
 
Hawley continued her impressive performance in Game Two with a triple to left field that scored Hannah Nestor, who pinch ran for Kailey Myers after her single to centerfield to start the inning. Garland scored Hawley on a ground out to the pitcher to tie it up 6-6.
 
Garland scored the game winner in the sixth inning with a single to left center to score Nagle.
 
Brooke Dawson sat down all three Lakers in the top of the seventh to earn her fifth win of the year. Dawson struck out five in the complete game.

Hawley's two RBI and three hits on a single, double and triple led The Rock. Garland also had two RBI, while Nagle and Baxter each recorded three hits. 
 
Slippery Rock will be back in action Wednesday afternoon at California (Pa.)