Box Score - Game One
Box Score - Game Two

INDIANA, Pa. - Senior Matt Adamczyk went 3-for-3 with his first collegiate homerun and a career-high five runs batted in during game two, helping the Mercyhurst baseball team salvage a split in Friday afternoon's doubleheader at IUP.

The Crimson Hawks handed Mercyhurst its worst loss in eight years, 18-0 in the opener, before Adamczyk and the Lakers bounced back for an 11-4 decision in the nightcap. Mercyhurst is now 19-8 overall and 3-3 in PSAC West action. The Crimson Hawks dropped to 14-13-1 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

Adamczyk was a double shy of the cycle in game two, hitting an RBI single in the first inning, a two-run triple in the third, and blasting a two-run homerun in the sixth inning. He was hit by a pitch in his other at bat.

Nothing seemed to go right for Mercyhurst in the opener as the Lakers suffered its worst loss since a 24-6 setback against Ashland during the 2004 season. Senior righthander Eric Aschley could not get out of the first inning, as the Crimson Hawks plated 10 runs in the team's first at bats of the afternoon. Aschley retired just one batter and was tagged for nine runs on eight hits while walking two.

IUP sent 15 batters to the plate in the first, scoring 10 runs on 10 hits against a combination of Aschley and senior Jeremy Cressley.

The Crimson Hawks would plate two more runs in the second inning off of Cressley, then would add two runs off freshman Kyle Hagerich in the third. IUP would tack on two more runs in the fourth and then single runs in the fifth and sixth innings against Hagerich, junior Donald Bowes, and sophomore Dan Parker.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were limited to just four hits in game one off of IUP starter Stephen Cooke. The IUP righthander walked three and struck out nine for the complete game shutout, improving his record to 4-0 on the season.

Freshman Kolin McMillen had two of Mercyhurst's hits while freshman Jake Janeczko and sophomore Anthony Tomasone added the others.

In game two, however, the Lakers bounced back for a lopsided victory of their own thanks to the hitting of Adamczyk and the pitching of junior lefthander Ben Rawding.

Mercyhurst jumped on IUP starter Greg Stewart for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, getting RBI singles from freshman Ryan Siegel and from Adamczyk.

IUP would return the favor in the bottom of the first, tying the game at 2-2 off of Rawding, and then would take a 3-2 lead off the Laker starter in the bottom of the second.

Adamczyk recaptured the lead for Mercyhurst with a two-out, two-run triple in the top of the third inning, giving the Lakers a 4-3 advantage. Rawding then settled down, allowing just a solo homerun in the IUP sixth inning, and giving the Mercyhurst bats a chance to pull away. And they did.

Mercyhurst would score two more runs in the fourth to take a 6-3 lead. Junior Andrew Fitzpatrick would cross the plate on a double play off the bat of senior Shane Latshaw, followed by an RBI single from junior Zak Blair.

Three more runs would score in the Laker fifth inning, as Mercyhurst took a commanding 9-3 lead. Adamczyk, who was hit by a pitch, scored on a passed ball, followed by a sacrifice fly from Tomasone and an RBI single from Latshaw. Then, Adamczyk would complete the scoring in the sixth with his first collegiate homerun, a two-run shot, for an 11-3 lead.

Both Adamczyk and Latshaw had three hits in game two, while Fitzpatrick and Blair had two hits apiece. Rawding went the distance, allowing four runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out nine, improving to 5-0 on the season.

The teams will complete their home-and-home series on Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field with a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m.