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Lourdes opened the 2015 season on Friday afternoon, dropping the opening game to Albion 8-6 before rebounding with an 11-0 victory at University Field on the campus of Madonna University in Livonia, Mich.
 
Sam Merillat (Hudson, Mich./Hudson H.S.) tossed a two-hit shutout in game two for the victory (1-0), striking out one while not walking anyone.  Both hits came in the third inning, the only two base runners she allowed on the afternoon.
 
"Merillat was great with her five inning complete game," head coach Jo Ann Gordon said after the win.  "She kept her pitch count low (50), and we swung the bats well to help her offensively.  We were very aggressive on the base paths as well."
 
Lourdes scored at least two runs in every inning of game two, taking the lead on a Bre Megyesi (Whitehouse, Ohio/Anthony Wayne H.S.) single in the opening inning.  Erica Marvaso (Huron Township, Mich./Woodhaven H.S.) added a run-scoring hit in the opening inning and the Gray Wolves never looked back.
 
Hillary West (Walbridge, Ohio/Lake H.S.) went 3-for-3 with two runs scored while Megyesi drove home two while tallying a pair of hits.  Alyssa Schaub (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold H.S.) and Jaime Newman (Edgerton, Ohio/Edgerton H.S.) each had two hits as well as Lourdes pounded out 13 in just four trips to the plate.
 
Ashley Butler took the loss (1-5) in game two for Albion (4-8), allowing five runs on eight hits in two innings in the circle.
 
In the opener Lourdes raced out to an early lead.  Brooke Gallaher (Oregon, Ohio/Clay H.S.) singled home Schaub two batters into the game to put the Gray Wolves on top 1-0.  West added a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Lourdes after one.
 
After Albion plated one in the top of the second, Ashley Yeager (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview H.S.) answered with a home run to left-center field.  Lourdes tacked on three more runs in the third, two on a single by Marvaso and another on a West groundout, to increase the lead to 6-1.
 
The Brittons responded with a six-run fourth inning, capped with a grand slam by Megan LaCavera, to take the lead.  Albion added an insurance run in the seventh to secure the win.
 
"In the first game we beat ourselves defensively, committing four errors," Gordon added.  "We didn't have timely hitting, leaving 11 runners on base."
 
Marvaso, Megyesi, and Yeager each had two hits in game one as Lourdes tallied 10 for the game against Monica Brugoni, who earned the win (3-3) in the circle with a complete game effort, despite walking seven.
 
Gallaher suffered the loss (0-1), allowing five earned runs and five hits in four innings.
 
Lourdes (1-1) will return to the diamond on Saturday afternoon as the Gray Wolves travel to Howell, Mich. to face Cleary.  First pitch in game one of the twinbill is set for 1 p.m. at Parker Fields.