PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle softball team (11-19) swept a doubleheader at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (3-25) on Wednesday afternoon at Hawk Field. Ashley Mendenhall drove in five runs for the Explorers while Marissa Ewald and Lauren Morell had four hits each.

Game 1: La Salle 7, UMES 4
La Salle scored four runs over the final three innings to earn a comeback win in the opening game. Mendenhall drove in the go-ahead run in the 5th inning before Ewald doubled in a run in the 6th and Taylor Rohrbaugh drilled an RBI double in the 7th.

The Explorers jumped on the Hawks with three runs in the top of the 1st thanks to a two-run single by Menedenhall and a two-out RBI double from Ewald. The freshman duo combined to drive in five runs in the opening game.

The Hawks got two runs back in the home half of the 1st, and took a brief 4-3 lead after scoring two more in the 4th inning.

La Salle starter Reilly Gearhart (W, 6-5) went the distance, striking out a season-high eight hitters while allowing just one earned run on five hits and a pair of walks.

Game 2: La Salle 7, UMES 3
The Explorers scored the game's first five runs, beginning with Lauren Morell's RBI single in the 3^rd. Deanna Pineiro walked to start the 5^th and scored on a throwing error before Emma Schweigert hit her seventh homer of the season, a two-run shot to center.

Ewald scored on another UMES miscue in the 6^th before the Hawks put two runs on the board against La Salle starter Morgan Orlowski (W, 2-3). Mendenhall pushed the lead back to five with a two-run homer to right center in the 7^th.

UMES loaded the bases and scored another run in the 7^th but Orlowski induced a double play to end the game.

Orlowski allowed three runs in the complete-game effort, tossing five shutout innings before the Hawks scored with two outs in the 6^th. The righty struck out four while scattering nine hits and a pair of walks.