Box Scores
Mercyhurst - W 10-0 (5 inn.)
King (Tenn.) - L 6-2

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – East Stroudsburg University opened the 2014 softball season with a 10-0 (5 inn.) win over PSAC West foe Mercyhurst, then dropped its second game, 6-2, to King (Tenn.) on a walk-off grand slam as the Warriors played the first two of their five games at the Tusculum (Tenn.) Pioneer Classic on Friday.

Junior OF Kasey Meckes led the Warriors offensively, going 3-for-6 with four RBI and three runs on the day. She hit a two-run triple in the first inning of the opener to get ESU going, then belted a one-out home run in the seventh against King before Fallon Thomas ended it with a home run in the bottom half.

Senior Laura Suits fired a four-hitter for her third career shutout against Mercyhurst, and ESU scored 10 runs (two earned) on 11 hits while capitalizing on four errors by the Lakers.

ESU got three in the first inning, as sophomore OF Sierra Wagner doubled, senior C Rebecca Smith reached on an error and Meckes followed with a triple for the Warriors' first runs of the season. Junior 1B Cara McNeil plated Meckes with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.

The Warriors added six more runs in the second to break it open. Junior OF Cara Woods singled, junior OF Kacie Killeen drew a one-out walk and Smith reached on an error to load the bases for Wagner, who cleared them with a three-run double.

Meckes hit a two-out single, then McNeil had a two-run double, sophomore SS Haley Thomas singled and Woods had an infield single to bring in the inning's sixth run and give ESU a 9-0 edge.

The Warriors added a final unearned run in the third inning.

Suits struck out three and walked two in a 5.0-inning complete game.

McNeil was 3-for-3 with three RBI, a double and a run and Wagner (2 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 rusn), Meckes (triple, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and Woods (RBI, run) were all 2-for-3. Thomas and senior Amanda McKay also added base hits.

Against King, Hannah Light – the reigning Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year – held the Warriors at bay until Meckes tied it in the seventh.

Woods doubled for ESU's first hit with one out in the fifth inning. The Warriors trailed 2-0 going into the seventh, but Smith doubled with one out, followed by Meckes' homer to left center.

In the bottom half, King drew a walk off freshman Rachael Liguori, who was relieved by sophomore Amanda Carlin. A walk and a fielders choice on a bunt loaded the bases for Thomas, who homered to center for the game-winner.

King scored its first two runs in the second inning on a two-out, two-run triple by leadoff hitter Chrissy Melcher.

Liguori was solid in the circle in her debut for the Warriors, going 6.0 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

ESU returns to the field on Saturday afternoon with games against UVA-Wise at 4 p.m. and King at 6 p.m. The Warriors finish the weekend against host Tusculum on Sunday.