COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus softball team earned a pair of wins over Gwynedd Mercy on Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action at the Snell Softball Field. The Bears rallied to win game one 2-1 before outlasting the Griffins 6-5 in game two.
 
 
With the wins, the Bears improved to 12-6 overall and have now won three of their last four games. Meanwhile, the Griffins of the Atlantic East fall to 10-4 overall.
 
 
 
Game 1: Ursinus 4, Gwynedd Mercy 2
Sophomore Samantha Mallen created the first run for the Bears by leading off the bottom of the first with a single and stealing a pair of bases. The throw to third went into the outfield which then allowed Mallen to score. First-year pitcher Christa Andrusiewicz worked out a pair of first and second situations in the top of the second and fourth innings to keep the score at 1-0, but the Bears were unable to extend their advantage. Gwynedd Mercy finally broke through with two runs behind back-to-back two-out singles in the top of the fifth to go up 2-1. However, junior Madison Wilson got the Bears rally started in the bottom half of the inning by roping a single to left and taking second base off a wild pitch. Senior Amanda Panati pushed Wilson across with a double two batters later and tied the game at two. Sophomore Stephanie Wichman closed the door on another potential two-out rally in the top of the sixth which set the stage for the Bears to pull ahead for good in the bottom half of the sixth. Junior Sarah DiLello dropped a one-out double into left field and then stole third. Classmate Sara Sullivan then crushed a two-run home run to left field to give Ursinus a 4-2 lead, a lead they would hold for the rest of the game. 
 
 
Game 2: Ursinus 6, Gwynedd Mercy 5
After a scoreless first inning, the Griffins loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second. First-year pitcher Riley Coneeny worked her way out of the jam by forcing a groundout to shortstop. The Bears were the ones to convert off a bases loaded situation as four-straight singles brought home two runs to put Ursinus in front. Senior Jordan Moore gave the Bears their initial lead before Wilson followed with a single of her own. Ursinus extended their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth when DiLello blooped a single between a pair of Griffin fielders with two outs to score Mallen from third. However, Gwynedd Mercy refused to go away when they got a pair of runs off a double and single with two outs to cut the Bears lead down to 3-2. Ursinus countered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth to go up 6-2. The Bears had runners on first and second when Moore ripped a single up the middle to score senior Allyson Meakim and advanced a base with Sullivan after an errant throw on a rundown situation. Mallen came through with two outs with a two-run single up the middle for a very key pair of insurance runs. The Griffins began to rally again as they loaded the bases with no outs and got their first run off a grounder that turned into a fielder's choice. Gwynedd Mercy then got two runs with two outs to score off a single and bobbled relay attempt at home plate to make it a 6-5 game, placing the tying run on second base. Fortunately for the Bears, a pop up to third ended the game in the next at-bat.
 
 
 
Mallen recorded two hits in each game for the Bears to go 4-of-8 between the two games at the plate while driving in two runs, scoring two runs, and stole a combined four bases. Moore went 2-of-3 from the plate and drove in two runs in game two while Sullivan went a combined 4-of-6 from the dish with two runs scored in addition to hitting her second home run of the season. Wichman earned the win in game one for the Bears after tossing two scoreless innings with three hits allowed and four strikeouts. Coneeny recorded her first collegiate win after allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk in 5.2 innings of work. Senior Alexis Miller earned the save in game two and allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits while striking out two in 1.2 innings of action.
 
 
The Bears return to action on Thursday, March 23rd as they will travel to face Elizabethtown for a doubleheader starting at 3:00 p.m.