MINNEAPOLIS (Duhawks.com) - The 2018 season began in a big way for the Loras softball team, who posted a pair of mercy-rule wins over Crown. Ashley Lentine went 6-for-8 on the day and drove in four runs while tallying a pair of extra-base hits.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Game One
- On the second pitch of the 2018 season, Lentine blasted a home run to right field … Before the inning was through, the Duhawks tacked on four more runs while sending nine hitters to the plate
- The offense showed no signs of slowing as Lentine opened the second with her second home run, this time to left center … An RBI double by Lauren Fritz followed by an RBI single by Hannah Towns increased Loras' lead to 8-0
- Madison Franks notched her first career RBIs in the third inning on a single that scored Savannah Fowler and Lentine
- In the circle, Emily Reilly limited Crown to one hit over 5.0 innings, allowing one earned run

Game Two
- The Duhawk offense picked up right where it left off, rattling off eight hits in the bottom of the first, scoring seven runs … Fritz drove in two on an RBI triple while Lentine went 2-for-2 in the inning with a pair of singles
- A tame second inning saw Loras settle for a lone unearned run off an RBI single up the middle by Tara Shingler
- Leading 8-0, the Duhawks extended their lead to 13 with five runs in the third
- Emma Corkill cooled the Crown hitters with 4.0 innings of two-hit ball while striking out two

NOTABLES
- Fritz recorded a career-high with two doubles in game one
- With two hits on Friday, Bria Lenten brought her career hit total to 95
- Lentine pushed her career batting average to .404 after Friday's 6-for-8 performance … Her two home run performance in game one set a career-high and tied the school record in the process

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME - Ashley Lentine
The junior opened her season going 4-for-4 in the leadoff spot with three extra-base hits … She scored three runs and recorded one putout

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME - Tara Shingler
In her second collegiate start as the designated player, Shingler went 2-for-3 with two RBIs

UP NEXT
Loras returns to the diamond on Saturday for a doubleheader against Minn.-Morris. The Cougars dropped to 0-2 after a pair of losses to Augsburg on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.