Complete Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - Four pitchers combined to allow one run on four hits while striking out 14 opposing hitters, as the Mercyhurst baseball team defeated Glenville State College 5-1 on Tuesday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field. With the victory, the Lakers improved to 18-7 on the season, while the Pioneers dropped to 3-17.

Junior Matthew Jimenez got the start and pitched five innings, taking a no-hitter into the fifth before allowing a leadoff single to Tucker Abruzzino. He allowed just the one hit while walking two and striking out four in improving to 2-0 on the season. Senior Samuel O'Neill, freshman Dan Altavilla, and senior Jeremy Cressley combined to pitch the final four innings, allowing just a run on three hits while striking out 10 and not issuing a walk.

Mercyhurst did not waste any time jumping on Glenville State starter Ian Morris, scoring a run in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Freshman Kolin McMillen led off the inning by reaching on a dropped fly ball by left fielder Will Lilly and would come around to score on a sacrifice fly by junior Zak Blair.

The Lakers would add a pair of runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 advantage. Freshman Ryan Siegel drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a single by senior Matt Adamczyk. Junior Andrew Fitzpatrick sacrificed both runners over 90 feet and then freshman Jake Marinelli picked up his first collegiate hit and first collegiate RBIs, lining a base hit to left field driving home both Siegel and Adamczyk.

The lead would extend to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior Shane Latshaw singled with one out and then promptly stole second base. After a lineout off the bat of Blair, senior Ethan Santora came through with a clutch two-out single, driving home Latshaw for the Lakers' fourth run. Siegel and Adamczyk would walk to load the bases and Fitzpatrick would plate the team's final run of the afternoon with an infield single.

Glenville State would score its lone run in the top of the eighth inning off of Cressley. The senior struck out Abruzzino to lead off the inning on a pitch in the dirt. The ball would bounce away from Marinelli, allowing Abruzzino to reach first base. Back-to-back singles by Lilly and Tyler Reid would load the bases with nobody out. Cressley struck out John Royce, but the Pioneers would plate their only run as Marinelli again had trouble hanging on to the offering, allowing Abruzzino to score on the passed ball. Cressley then pitched around a hit batter, striking out the final two batters of the inning and eliminating the Glenville State comeback threat.

O'Neill pitched around a leadoff triple in the sixth inning, striking out a pair of batters in his inning of work. The Pioneers attempted a suicide squeeze with Philip Longnecker at the plate. Longnecker missed the bunt and Royce was easily tagged out, ending the threat in the sixth.

Altavilla pitched an easy 1-2-3 seventh inning, giving way to Cressley, who struck out four batters in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth.

Offensively, Fitzpatrick led the way with a 2-for-3 afternoon, as the Lakers had nine hits on the day.

Mercyhurst will return to conference action on Friday, March 30 with a doubleheader at Indiana (Pa.) scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The Lakers will return home on Saturday, March 31, concluding the home-and-home series with IUP, for a doubleheader against the Crimson Hawks. Game one is set for 12:00 p.m.