April 29, 2007

Box Score

MIDLAND, Mich. - Mercyhurst completed the sweep of a four-game set at Northwood with a pair of wins, 16-3 and 16-10, on Sunday. The Lakers scored 16 runs in both games, but needed to hold off a Timberwolf comeback bid in the series finale. Mercyhurst had a total of 14 doubles in the doubleheader as the team extended its win streak to eight games.

Game One
Jamie Walczak had five hits, including a pair of doubles, and Wes Craig allowed just one run over five innings as Mercyhurst defeated Northwood 16-3.

Mercyhurst, who had scored in the first on an RBI double by David Lough, added five more in the third and six in the fourth to break open a 1-1 game.

In the third, Mercyhurst's first six batters all reached base. A bases loaded single by Jeff Stoll broke the tie and put the Lakers ahead 3-1. After Joe Luli walked to load the bases again, Josh Schmidt knocked in two more with a single. Adam Gray's one-out, RBI single capped the scoring in the inning.

In the fourth, Luli, Sean Weyant and Dan Bertolini all had run scoring doubles and Gray had another RBI single as Mercyhurst put the game away.

Mercyhurst also scored four times in the seventh, thanks to an RBI groundout by Brian Sanders and run scoring doubles by Bertolini and Walczak.

Craig picked up his team best fifth win of the year. He allowed just five hits and two walks, while striking out three.

Walczak finished 5-for-6 on the day, doubled twice, scored three times and drove in three more runs. Stoll and Bertolini were each 2-for-4, while Gray went 2-for-3. Both of Bertolini's hits were doubles.

Mike Capuano fell to 4-6 for Northwood. He allowed the first six runs, all earned, over 2.1 innings, on six hits and two walks.

Brett Rohn, Derek Fritz and Matt Czajkowski had two hits apiece for Northwood.

Game Two
Mercyhurst scored 10 runs in the first three innings, but Northwood scored five in the sixth before the Lakers escaped with a 16-10 win to complete the sweep.

The Lakers put four runs on the board in each the first and second innings, then added two more in the third. In the first, Joe Luli had an RBI single with the bases loaded to put Mercyhurst on the board. John Blike followed with a sac fly, but reached base on a Northwood error. The next batter, Sean Weyant, knocked in the final two runs of the inning with a base hit to left field.

After Northwood scored three times in the bottom of the inning against starter John Mang, the Lakers added four more in the second for an 8-3 lead. David Lough singled with two runners on to score the first run of the frame. After Jamie Walczak scored on a wild pitch, Jeff Stoll singled in Lough. A John Blike double brought home Stoll to cap the inning.

Lough drove in two more the following inning with a double to center field.

Luli's double to left center scored the first two of the Lakers six runs in the fifth which extended the lead to 16-3. Weyant and Dan Bertolini added two-run singles in the inning.

Northwood scored seven unanswered runs over the final three innings.

Ryan Schreiber was credited with his third win of the year after allowing just one run in 4.1 of relief. The righty gave up just four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out three.

Lough was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, doubled twice, stole two bases, scored three times and drove in three more. Luli was 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored. Bertolini also went 3-for-5. He scored twice and knocked in two. Sean Weyant had four RBIs and went 2-for-4. Walczak and Trey Bennett each had two hits. Walczak and Jeff Stoll both scored three times.

Josh Perry dropped to 2-3 for Northwood after allowing 10 runs, nine earned, in th first 2.2 innings. He allowed 11 hits, walked two and struck out four.

The Lakers improved to 28-15 overall and 14-8 in the GLIAC. Northwood is now 14-29 and 4-21 in the conference.

Mercyhurst plays its final two home games on Wednesday, May 2 against Ashland. The first pitch in game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.