CLERMONT, Fla. – The Albright softball team got off to a good start in its 2018 season with a 9-1 victory over Fitchburg State on Monday. The Lions also lost in their second game, 10-6, to Mount St. Joseph.

In the win over Fitchburg State, Albright banged out nine runs on 11 hits in recording the six-inning mercy rule victory. The Lions got off to a fast start in the top of the first. Stephanie Pomante went yard to give the Lions an early 3-0 lead.

Her blast brought home Brooke Yerger and Stephany Courtney. Those two had five of the Lions' 11 hits. Yerger went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored, and Courtney went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run.

After Fitchburg got a run back in the bottom of the first, the Lions added two more in the top of the second. Courtney singled home Kelly Cembrale to make it 4-1, and Pomante picked up her fourth RBI with a sacrifice fly to score Yerger to make it 5-1.

Albright pushed the game into mercy rule territory with four runs in the sixth inning. After two outs, Yerger tripled home Corinne Garuffe to make it 6-1. Abigail Lord followed with a pinch hit single to score Yerger, and then freshman Nora Harrison hit a two-run homer in her first collegiate at-bat to cap the scoring at 9-1.

Camille Sears went the distance for the Lions, allowing just one run on five hits.

In game two against Mount St. Joseph, the Lions started the exact same way. With Yerger and Lord on base, Pomante again hit a three-run homer in the first inning. That helped to soften the blow of a five-run first from Mount St. Joseph's, but the Lions allowed four runs in the seventh inning to break a 6-6 tie.

Albright returns to action on Tuesday against Wisconsin-Stout at 9 a.m. and Franklin & Marshall at 1 p.m.