INDIANA, Pa. – Taylor Mercurio (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) had four hits and drove in three runs as IUP swept Mercyhurst in a rain delayed softball doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Podbielski Field. The Crimson Hawks won by scores of 8-6 and 6-0.
 
In a doubleheader that originally started on April 7 and was delayed by rain, the Crimson Hawks picked up a pair of victories to improve to 23-17 overall. Mercyhurst falls to 12-20 on the season.
 
Mercurio went a combined 4-for-7 with three runs batted in and scored three runs. Megan Gould (New Germany, Pa./Forest Hills) and Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center) each had three hits in the doubleheader, while Allison Viguers (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) and Fairman both drove in three runs.
 
The Crimson Hawks totaled 22 hits in the doubleheader, including 15 in the game one 8-6 victory. IUP followed up with seven base hits in the 6-0 shutout victory.
 
Brooke Darling (Springville, Pa./Elk Lake) started and won both games, including a complete game shutout in the second game played entirely on Thursday. She gave up just four hits while walking two and blanking the Lakers in the 6-0 victory.
 
Fairman drove in three runs in a five-run fifth inning for the Crimson Hawks, with Mercurio and Cotter each driving in a run as IUP took an insurmountable lead.
 
Game one continued on Thursday in the fourth inning, with IUP leading 6-4. Both teams scored twice the rest of the way, including RBI base hits by Viguers and Mercurio in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.
 
The Crimson Hawks scored five runs in the first inning that was played on April 7, highlighted by an RBI single to center by Lauren Goetz (Cleveland, Ohio/Cuyahoga Heights) that scored two runs.
 
IUP wraps up its regular season this weekend with doubleheaders at UPJ on Friday and at home against Mansfield on Saturday.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP softball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_Softball.