EASTON, Pa. – The Leopards' home and Patriot League opener featured a pitchers' duel that ended in a 2-0 final in favor of Lehigh on Friday afternoon.
 
Lafayette starter Kailee Sawai and Lehigh's Katelyn Young surrendered only 10 hits over 14 combined innings.
 
Lehigh's Brooke Cannon broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning. She smacked an elevated fastball over the wall in left field for the 1-0 lead. Freshman Marisa Powell helped limit the damage, covering significant ground to haul in a flyout in right field for the final out of the inning after Sawai got the second out via strikeout.  
 
Lehigh tacked on another run in the top of the seventh inning. Lily Owens lined a ball off the shin of Sawai to get on base. Soph. Morrigan Gardiner came on in relief in the circle. Owens stole second and later scored on an RBI-single from Rory Dudley.
 
The Leopards battled into the seventh. Junior Paige Sandidge drew a one-out walk that senior Grace Harvey followed with a double to put runners on second and third with one out. Young struck out the next two batters, pinch hitter Bailey Langford and DP Kristen Brown, to end the game.
 
Young, who was coming off a mid-week no-hit performance vs. Monmouth, finished the afternoon with eight strikeouts. Sawai allowed two runs on five hits with five K's and four walks.  
 
Offensively, for Lafayette freshman Kylee Sweet had two of the team's four hits with Powell and Harvey each adding one. The Leopards started three freshmen and a sophomore in the infield.
 
Lafayette and Lehigh will have Saturday off due to the series slate being shuffled for weather considerations. The teams are slated to play a doubleheader on Sunday at noon.