EASTON, Pa. – Lafayette could not recover from a blazing hot start by the Colgate offense, as the Raiders took game one of the series 6-2 on Friday afternoon.
 
In the top of the first, Colgate scored all of the offense it would need for the seven-inning game.  Nora Megenity and Kayla Martin each delivered home runs for the 3-0 lead.   
 
The Leopards threatened in the bottom half, loading the bases with two outs before Colgate pitcher Kelcie McGraw recorded the final out via a strikeout.
 
Megenity was at it again in the second inning, this time with a three-run shot that stretched the lead to 6-0 and forced Leopard head coach Kelliner Croushore to lift starter Parker Rowden in favor of Makayla Lecky.
 
Lecky went on to have one of her best outings of the year, tossing 5.2 innings of scoreless softball. She scattered five hits, walked one and struck out one.
 
The Leopards broke through in the scoring column in the seventh inning. Olivia Catalina reached on an error and was doubled home by Caroline Hall. Hall also scored on the play, when the catcher threw the ball into leftfield while trying to cut her down at third. Trailing 6-2, the Leopards followed with singles by Kylee Sweet and Regan Dillon before McGraw's ninth strikeout of the day ended things.
 
McGraw allowed two unearned runs on seven hits in the complete game. Rowden took the loss after allowing six runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts over an inning and a third.  
 
The teams will resume the series with a doubleheader on Sunday at noon following the program's senior day ceremony.