The Genesee Community College softball team concluded weekday play for this week, but will return with action this weekend after hosting National Junior College Athletic Association Division-II Mercyhurst April 11.

Although the Cougars dropped both games there were some bright spots as the team finally played their first games of the season against Region-III opponents after nearly a month layoff after the team's return from South Carolina.

The team needed a day to get back in the swing of things after a pair of road losses to Onondaga Community College the previous day.

The Cougars got off to a good start against D-II Mercyhurst by shutting them down in the first inning and then taking the lead in the bottom of the same inning. The Cougars ultimately bowed 15-4 in the first game of the home-opening doubleheader in some wintry conditions.

Shiori Ubukata led the Cougars by going 3-for-4 at the plate, with a solid performance also coming from Jackie Guzdek, who was 2-for-3.

In the second game, again it was Ubukata who energized the Cougars with a first-inning run and although the Cougars lost 14-2 the brightest spot may have come from the mound. Sam Tatarski was solid with most of Mercyhurt's runs coming unearned.

Against Onondaga, the Cougars built some nice momentum in the second game of the doubleheader from the get-go after Tatarski homered. That was followed up by a Ubukata double with her also crossing the plate for a run after Guzdek successfully bunted-in a run and was also safe at first.

Defensively, the game was highlighted by a pair of double plays that came from Ubukata and Guzdek.

Genesee had some strong bats in the second Onondaga game with Ubukata again going 3-for-4 and a pair of hits each coming from Kennedy Lampart and Katie Haefele. Single hits came off the bats of Mikayla Bush, Maki Iwami and Brittni Way.

The Cougars next travel to Erie for a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. April 14.