NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Gwynedd Mercy started the 2017 season splitting a pair of games on Monday. The Griffins defeated Robert Morris-Springfield, 14-6, in the early morning game, but fell to Eastern Mennonite, 5-2, in the day's second contest.

Against Robert Morris, Gwynedd answered a six-run third from the Eagles with and eight spot in the bottom half.

In that bottom of the third, Brianna Crossen highlighted the frame with a three-run inside the park home run. The game would end in the sixth as the Griffins scored six times, including a walk-off two-run single from Lauren Waller.
 
Waller, Crossen, and Becki Christoffers all drove in three runs while Jessica Behr knocked in four. Starter Alyssa Morales went three innings to get the win, striking out four while allowing two earned runs on seven hits. She would add three hits and a run scored at the plate.

The start of game two looked like the end of the first game as GMercyU plated two runs on Behr's double in the bottom of the first. The Royals answered with two runs in the second to tie things up and two more in the third.

EMU starting pitcher Reath Sydney would settle in and limit the Griffins to just two hits and three baserunners after the third. She would double home a run in the seventh to add to the lead. Sydney held GM to five hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Gwynedd starter Alexis Gartner took the loss, going all seven innings.

The team returns to action tomorrow when they take on Mary Washington at 1:30 p.m. and Hilbert at 5:30 p.m.