BUTLER, Pa. -- The 21st-ranked Mercyhurst baseball team suffered a 5-2 loss to West Chester in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament action on Monday.

Cameron Balego went 2-for-4 with an RBI for a Laker offense that mustered only five hits. Cam Knott suffered the loss on the mound.

The Golden Rams (34-11) scored five runs in the fifth inning and never trailed.

Mercyhurst (39-11) battled back with single runs in the sixth and ninth frames, but that was close as it would get.

Balego had an RBI groundout to plate Chris Gonzalez in the sixth. Austin Alonge scored Sabatino DiNardo III in the ninth with a sacrifice fly.

Knott was the losing pitcher, giving up three earned runs (five total) while allowing four hits. He recorded four strikeouts, three walks and one hit batsman.

The Lakers will return to action on Tuesday with a losers' bracket contest against cross-town Gannon at 12:30 p.m.