May 4, 2008

Game 2 Box Score
Game 3 Box Score
Game 4 Box Score

Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst pitching staff hurled two shutouts, and head coach Joe Spano notched his 250th career victory as the Lakers took two of three from Northwood Sunday, sending their seniors out in style.

The Lakers (27-25, 13-19 GLIAC) picked up a 3-0 win in the early game that was resumed after an 18 hour, 40 minute rain delay. The Timberwolves (22-28, 7-25 GLIAC) won 8-3 in the second game, but Mercyhurst received another outstanding effort from red-shirt sophomore Steve Grife in the finale and clinched the four-game series with a 1-0 victory.

Mercyhurst's win in the first game of the day gave Spano his 250th win, and he finishes the season with a 251-213-3 record in nine years with the Lakers, averaging nearly 28 wins per season, placing him second on the all-time win list behind Joe Jordano, who won 287 games in 11 seasons and averaged 26 wins per year.

Sunday's opener resumed after its lengthy rain delay with the Lakers leading 2-0 in the fourth inning. Freshman Nick Gillung pitched three shutout innings Saturday, but John Mang (3-6) took over and cruised through four shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out two.

Mercyhurst added an insurance run off of Sam Freund in the fifth when senior Joe Luli drove in Jamie Walczak with an RBI single.

Matt Toporski (3-6) suffered the loss for Northwood after pitching the first three innings of the game Saturday afternoon.

One bad inning proved to be the Lakers undoing in the following game, as Northwood scored six runs, four of which were unearned, on three hits and two errors in the third off starter Wes Craig (5-3).

Mercyhurst managed to chip into the lead with a three runs in the sixth, but it was not nearly enough as Northwood's Andrew Thompson staved off the rally and helped the Timberwolves to the 8-3 win. Andrew Van Sumeren (4-4) earned the win after allowing three runs on seven hits in five innings.

For Mercyhurst, freshman Jonathan Keppler went 3-for-4, and Walczak, Adam Schlessel and John Blike each drove in a run.

In the series finale, the Lakers scratched out just one run on four hits, but that proved to be more than enough for Grife, who went the distance for his fourth-straight complete game victory.

In his last four starts, Grife has pitched 28 innings, struck out 35, including a career-high 12 on Sunday, walked only three and surrendered just two runs for a 0.64 ERA. He closes his season with a 6-5 record and a 2.50 ERA through 11 starts. His 78 strikeouts is the second-highest single season total in school history, as well, trailing only Steve Strohm, who totaled 79 in 2001.

The Lakers scored their lone run in the second when Walczak led off with a single, stole second and then scored on a Luli single to center.

Northwood led off the third and fourth innings with back-to-back singles but both runners were left stranded as Grife struck out the side to end both innings. From the second inning into the fifth, nine of the 10 outs were recorded by strikeout.

Grife closed out any hope of a late Northwood rally in the seventh with back-to-back strikeouts.

Walczak led the Lakers at the plate with two hits and two steals, giving him five hits in 11 at bats (.455) and four steals during the series.

Luli, one Mercyhurst's seven seniors, finished his final series by going 4-for-11 with one homer and four RBIs.

By winning three of four to end the season, the Lakers capped a fourth-straight winning season; a feat that has been accomplished by only two other senior classes and one other coach in school history. The 2008 seniors posted a record of 122-84-1 during their careers and graduates as the second winningest class in school history, trailing only the 1997 class that won 137 games in four seasons.

2008 Senior Class Notes
Dan Bertolini - Bertolini made 202 appearances and 197 starts--more than any other player in school history--during his four-year stint at shortstop. He also hit .300 and ranks seventh on the all-time hit list with 182.

Wes Craig - With a 10-4 record, Craig won more games than any other Laker pitcher over the last two seasons. He finishes his career with 10 wins in 20 starts and a 3.81 ERA.

Eric Drobotij - Drobotij won his 14th career game Saturday, which places him in a tie for eighth all time. His 209.1 innings pitched is the third-most in school history.

James Ludwig - Twice Ludwig set the single-season record for appearances (21 in 2007 and a GLIAC-leading 26 in 2008). He finishes with school-record 76 appearances. His 16 wins is fourth all-time, his 2.62 ERA ranks third and his nine saves is tied for third.

Joe Luli - Luli hit a career-high .364 in 2008 and closed his career ranked sixth all-time with 120 RBIs and seventh in homers with 14.

John Morris - Morris set the single season saves record as a sophomore in 2006 with nine, and he graduates as Mercyhurst's all-time saves leader with 19.

Josh Schmidt - Schmidt appeared in 92 games in three seasons and hit .293 with 22 doubles and 43 RBIs. He also logged a .986 fielding percentage which is the third among players with at least 200 chances during the last four seasons.