April 28, 2007

Box Score

MIDLAND, Mich. - Mercyhurst needed a pinch-hit, two-out triple from John Blike in the top of the seventh to pick up a 5-3 win over Northwood in game one, but cruised to a 14-0 victory in game two against the Timberwolves.

Game One
Pinch hitter John Blike drilled the first pitch he saw into right-centerfield for a two-run triple that scored Joe Luli and Jamie Walczak and lifted Mercyhrust to a 5-3 victory.

An RBI single by David Lough put Mercyhurst on the board first in the third inning. Dan Bertolini, who doubled to lead off the inning, scored on the play.

The Lakers extended the advantage to 3-0 in the sixth with a pair of runs on a home run to centerfield by Joe Luli, his fourth of the season.

Brian Chad kept Northwood off the scoreboard until the bottom half of the sixth inning when Ben Shock and Matt Shields reached to lead off the inning and Clay Rosette followed with a three-run homer to tie the game.

In the bottom of the frame, Walczak walked to lead things off and Luli was hit by a pitch with two outs to set up Blike's dramatics.

James Ludwig picked up the win for the Lakers with two innings of hitless relief. He improved to 3-0 on the year, struck out two and walked a batter. Chad allowed three runs on eight hits, three walks and struck out three over the first five innings.

Jeff Stoll went 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Luli was 2-for-3 with two runs and a pair of RBIs.

Andrew Van Sumeren fell to 1-3 in 2007, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks. He fanned four. Roy Reynolds finished the game allowing one run in 0.2 innings.

Game Two
Steve Grife tossed another gem, holding the Timberwolves to just two hits and a walk over five innings, while striking out six, as Mercyhurst pounded Northwood 14-0 in game two.

Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit as the Laker offense totaled 17 hits in the contest.

The Lakers got on the board with three runs in the second inning. Jeff Stoll singled to lead off the inning and scored on John Blike's one-out single. After Sean Weyant walked and Adam Gray singled to load the bases, Dan Bertolini brought home a pair of runs with a base hit to left.

After a scoreless third inning, Mercyhurst scored multiple runs in each the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Bertolini added another two-run single in the fourth and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jamie Walczak two make it 6-0.

The next inning, Mercyhurst added a pair on a two-run double by Weyant, then made it 12-0 with four more in the sixth. Jeff Stoll hit his third homer of the year, a two-run blast, and the Lakers also scored on a passed ball and an error.

David Lough and Luli stroked RBI doubles in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Chad Ditcher and John Morris each pitched hitless innings in relief of Grife, who improved to 3-2 on the year.

Stephen Rabish fell to 1-1, allowing six runs in 3.1 innings.

Stoll finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Dan Bertolini was 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Trey Bennett, Walczak, Blike and Gray also had mult-hit games.

Mercyhurst is 26-15 after the two wins and 12-8 in the GLIAC. Northwood dropped to 14-27 overall and 4-20 in conference play.

The two teams meet again in Midland, Michigan at noon on Sunday (April 29) for a GLIAC doubleheader.