Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two

ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst baseball team got complete games from senior Eric Aschley and junior Ben Rawding and hit four home runs - two each from senior Shane Latshaw and freshman Ryan Siegel - en route to 3-1 and 7-1 victories over California on Friday afternoon to open PSAC play. The Lakers improved to 17-5 overall and 2-0 in the conference, while the Vulcans fell to 12-12 overall and 3-3 in PSAC action.

The games also marked the first home games of the season for Mercyhurst.

Aschley was locked in a pitcher's dual with the Vulcans' Kyle Thomas in game one, with neither team able to dent the scoreboard for the first three innings. However, Troy Handza led off the top of the fourth inning with a home run over the left center field fence, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. It was just the second home run allowed by Aschley this season in 38.1 innings pitched.

The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior Matt Adamczyk led off the inning with a single to right field and then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Thomas. Junior transfer Andrew Fitzpatrick lined a two-out single to right field and Adamczyk slid home just ahead of the throw, tying the game at 1-1.

Mercyhurst then took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Freshman Kolin McMillen led off the inning with a base hit through the right side of the infield and was driven home by Latshaw, who connected on his second home run of the season over the left field fence, giving Mercyhurst a 3-1 lead.

Aschley pitched around three California hits in the top of the seventh inning to pick up the victory. The senior righthander scattered eight hits, improving to 3-2 on the season. He walked two and struck out four in the complete game victory.

Thomas suffered the loss for California, dropping to 3-4 on the season. He allowed seven Laker hits, while walking two and striking out two.

Adamczyk was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate in game one for Mercyhurst.

Similar to game one, California jumped out to a 1-0 lead on the Lakers, this time in the top of the first inning. Rawding retired the first two batters, then allowed a two-out walk to his counterpart Kyle Petty and then an RBI triple off the centerfield fence by Handza.

Mercyhurst, however, would take the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning, plating four runs on five hits and giving Rawding all of the offense he would need. After Latshaw grounded out to lead off the third inning, Mercyhurst got back-to-back singles by junior Zak Blair and senior Ethan Santora, which then sent Siegel to the plate. The freshman lifted a fly ball to left field that kept carrying and ended up over the fence for his first home run as a Laker, giving Mercyhurst a 3-1 lead. The Lakers were not done, thanks to a two-out throwing error by California's third baseman Chuck Gasti, allowing Colin Loughner to reach base. Loughner would advance on a single by Fitzpatrick and then would score on an infield single by freshman Jake Janeczko, capping off a four-run inning.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Siegel then launched his second home run of the game, this time over the right center field fence, giving Mercyhurst a 5-1 advantage. The Lakers would then plate two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Latshaw hit a one-out solo home run, giving the Lakers a 6-1 lead. Blair then singled, stole second and third, and came home on a wild pitch for the final run of the day.

Rawding did the rest, as the Lakers earned the doubleheader sweep and a perfect start to open conference play. The junior southpaw was brilliant, allowing just a run on four hits. He walked one and struck out four, improving to 4-0 on the season. Petty suffered his first loss of the season for the Vulcans, dropping to 5-1 on the year, by allowing six earned runs on 10 hits in five-and-two-thirds innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Siegel was a perfect 2-for-2 with two home runs and four RBIs in game two. Blair went 3-for-4 at the plate, as every starter except for McMillen had at least one hit in the second game.

Mercyhurst will now travel to California to play a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. First pitch of game one is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. from the minor league ballpark of the Single-A Washington Wild Things.