DALLAS, Pa.– Eastern University Softball pounded out 27 hits and scored 15 runs in a doubleheader at Misericordia. The Eagles survived a late rally from the hosts to hold on for a 10-9 win in the opener, but the Cougars took the nightcap, 9-5, with a five-run sixth inning.

The Eagles took an early lead with a four-run second in the opener. Leah Lozzi started the rally with a double to left. Alyssa Bolger and Meghan Johnson each drove in runs with hits in the inning. The Cougars responded with single runs  in the second and fourth innings before the Eagles posted three-run innings in the fifth and sixth.

Taylor Crown delivered the big blow of the inning with her first career home run. The sophomore shortstop drove in Grace Gonzalez and Lozzi with the blast to left. Misericordia scored twice in the fifth, but the Eagles added on with a five-hit sixth. Gonzalez, Jess Snader, and Bolger each drove in runs. Bolger's two-out RBI single proved to be critical as the Misericordia offense finally got to Johnson in the seventh. The Cougars had plated three and had two runners on when Head Coach Claire Emplit went to Haleigh WIlliams to get the final three outs.

Williams retired three of four batters she faced to get her squad out of the jam and pick up the save.

Williams, who has missed much of the year with injury, turned around to start game two for the short-handed Eastern pitching staff. The Eagles jumped to a 3-0 lead for Williams. Gonzalez doubled in Samantha Albertson in the first and Bolger hit an opposite field shot out to left to drive in a pair in the second. The switch-hitting infielder typically bats left-handed to slap, and bunt, but she drove an outside pitch over the wall for her first career home run.

The Cougars scored four in the second to grab the lead.

The young Eastern hitters kept after it and generated solo runs in the fourth and sixth to take the lead.

The Cougars got to Williams with six hits, including a pair of runs in the sixth to pull away to a 9-5 win.

Eastern played the doubleheader without a pair of pitchers and senior first baseman Kelsey Clever. Williams had missed nearly three full weeks and was making just her seventh and eighth appearances of the spring. She had 26 appearances in the circle in 2016.

"It is tough when you have to move people around to new spots." Emplit said. "Without Kelsey in there, we had to move around a bit. I thought we showed some of our potential today."

The Eagles (6-26, 3-9 MAC Freedom) have a doubleheader at Cabrini on Tuesday and will wrap up their season at home against Delaware Valley next Saturday."