BUTLER, Pa. – The Mercyhurst University baseball team got a strong start from the PSAC West Pitcher of the Year, redshirt senior Jon Klein, and the offense backed him up with 14 runs and 21 hits in a 14-2 victory over the West Chester Golden Rams in day two of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Baseball Tournament at Kelly Automotive Park. The Lakers staved off elimination and improved to 33-7 overall on the season. The Golden Rams, meanwhile, dropped to 26-13 and will have to wait to see if they receive a bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Mercyhurst, not known for its offensive prowess, now has 40 hits in its two postseason contests after recording 19 hits in Wednesday's tournament-opening loss to East Stroudsburg. Every Mercyhurst starter had at least one hit except for senior catcher Jake Marinelli, who reached base twice and scored a pair of runs in the victory. Seven Lakers had at least two hits in the win, led by seniors Angel Martinez and Giancarlo Saia who had four apiece.

The Lakers had a productive first inning against West Chester starter, Andrew Gernert. Martinez led off the inning with a single to center and then scored when junior Austin Alonge deposited a 2-2 offering from Gernert over the right field fence for a 2-0 lead. It was Alonge's team-leading seventh home run of the season. Junior Brendan Cox followed with a single to center but was left stranded.

Mercyhurst added a run in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Marinelli appeared to have belted a solo home run down the left field line to lead off the inning, but the ball was ruled foul. However, on the 0-2 pitch, Marinelli was hit by a pitch and then advanced to third on a single down the right field line by freshman Daniel Elliott. Sophomore Cameron Balego lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Marinelli, for the Lakers' run.

Junior Hank Morrison gave the Lakers a 6-0 lead in the top of the third inning, crushing a three-run home run over the 385-foot sign in left center. The blast, which also scored Cox and Saia, tied Morrison with Alonge for the team lead with seven round trippers this season.

The Lakers were not done in the third, adding another run thanks to Gernert plunking Marinelli with a pitch for the second time in the game. The hit batsman was the final batter Gernert faced as reliever Alec Schwartz entered the contest. Elliott grounded out advancing Marinelli to second and then Balego dropped a bloop single into left field to score Marinelli and give the Lakers a 7-0 cushion.

Mercyhurst scored for the fourth straight inning after plating a pair in the visitors' half of the fourth. Alonge drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on a Cox double, aided by a bobble in right center by West Chester centerfielder, Joey Coyle. Cox scored on a sacrifice fly from Saia for a 9-0 advantage.

The score remained that way until the Lakers had two more runners cross the plate in the top of the seventh to extend their lead to 11-0. Martinez reached on an infield single and then scored when Alonge doubled down the left field line. After Cox lined out to right field, Saia followed with an RBI double which drove home pinch runner Jordan Bray from second for the final run of the inning.

West Chester's Matt Petrizzi came on to pitch the eighth inning for the Golden Rams and was greeted rudely by redshirt senior Ryan Siegel, who picked up his first hit of the day with a solo home run to right field on a 1-2 pitch to give the Lakers a 12-0 advantage.

The Golden Rams finally got to Klein in the bottom of the eighth inning, stringing together two runs on three hits. Petrizzi and Justin Roman had run-scoring singles to cut the Laker lead to 12-2. But, Klein induced an inning-ending double play to end both the rally and his afternoon.

The PSAC West Pitcher of the Year went eight innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out seven to improve to 8-1 on the campaign. The righthander has allowed only 36 hits in 59.1 innings while walking 14 and striking out 79.

Mercyhurst scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth to make the score 14-2. Freshman Matthew Minnick came on and struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth.

It was Minnick's seventh appearance out of the bullpen this season. He now has struck out 10 batters in 6.2 innings of work.

Gernert lasted 2.1 innings and allowed seven runs on seven hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out one. Schwartz gave up four runs on ten hits in 4.2 innings, walked one and did not strike out a batter. Petrizzi allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits over the final two innings. He struck out three.

Mercyhurst stays alive in the PSAC Tournament and will play again on Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. against the loser of the Slippery Rock-East Stroudsburg contest that gets underway at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.