WINCHESTER, Va. –  The Shenandoah University softball team opened up its 2018 home slate Friday evening by dropping a non-league doubleheader to Misericordia.

Misericordia (2-0) was a 4-3 winner in eight innings in game one before rallying for a 6-4 victory in the nightcap.

Shenandoah (2-4) held a 4-2 lead in game two only to see the Cougars score one run in the fifth and three in the sixth to complete the sweep.

All four runs came via the home run – Ciara DeLong hit a three-run blast to center off of SU reliever Carrie Robinson (1-1) to complete the comeback.

Freshman Sierra Beaty had three of the Hornets four RBIs in the second game as she had run scoring triples in both the first and third innings. Her first triple, to left center, scored two runs.

She scored the squad's final run on a Maryann Hollen sacrifice fly.

Beaty, Megan Wilk and Sammy Amateau all had two hits for SU.

The Hornets lost game one 4-3 in eight innings as the Cougars scored three runs on three hits and one SU error in the top of the eighth.

Shenandoah answered with two runs on the bottom of the frame, but left Kayla O'Connell stranded on third base as Kristen Weadon lined out to second base to end the contest.

O'Connell brought the Hornets to within one run with a triple to right center to score Wilk, who had reached on a two-out error.

Shenandoah scored its first run in the bottom of the third on a two-out single in the right center gap from Amateau. Amateau drove in Allie Schey all the way from first – Schey had reached on a one-out single up the middle.

O'Connell had two of the Hornets seven hits in the contest with Schey reaching base three times in her four plate appearances on a single and two walks.

Katherine Seidl (1-2) took the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits and two walks.