Game One - Box Score
Game Two - Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst baseball team scored a dozen runs in both games on Saturday afternoon and completed a sweep of visiting IUP by the scores of 12-6 and 12-2 to take three of the four meetings between the two teams over the weekend. Mercyhurst improved to 21-8 overall and 5-3 in the PSAC West while the Crimson Hawks dropped to 14-15-1 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

After suffering an 18-0 setback in the first game of the weekend series against IUP on Friday, Mercyhurst responded in a big way to take the next three games of the series by a combined score of 35-12. With the victories on Saturday, the Lakers improved to 5-0 at home this season.

Mercyhurst spotted IUP a 5-1 lead after three-and-a-half innings in game one before big hits enabled the Lakers to come-from-behind for the victory. The Crimson Hawks scored a pair of runs in the first inning against Mercyhurst starter Brad Duffy. Robbie Zinsmeister led off the game reaching on an error by freshman second baseman Kolin McMillen starting the rally. Back-to-back doubles by Troy Foster and Dylan Songer gave the visitors a 2-0 lead.

The Lakers got a run back in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI groundout by senior Ethan Santora, driving home senior Shane Latshaw, who reached on an infield single.

IUP would plate a run in the third inning on an RBI double from Foster, and then would tack on two more runs in the fourth inning, both with two outs, to take a 5-1 lead.

But, Mercyhurst would storm back with six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 7-5 advantage. The big blow was a bases-clearing double from junior Andrew Fitzpatrick, which put the Lakers to within a run. After Fitzpatrick's double, Mercyhurst would add three more runs on shaky IUP defense and excellent Mercyhurst baserunning. The only other RBI in the inning came on a fielder's choice by McMillen.

The Lakers were not done, adding five more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. After back-to-back doubles by IUP's Songer and Ryan Uhl cut the Mercyhurst lead to 7-6 in the top half of the inning, Mercyhurst pulled away. Senior Matt Adamczyk and sophomore Colin Loughner both were hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. Fitzpatrick sacrificed them both up 90 feet and then sophomore Anthony Tomasone drove home Adamczyk with an infield single. McMillen then singled, loading the bases for Latshaw, who launched a 3-1 pitch from Christian Wolosik over the left center field fence for a grand slam home run, giving the Lakers a 12-6 lead. Latshaw now leads the team with four round trippers this season.

Freshman Dan Altavilla would relieve Duffy and would finish off the Crimson Hawks with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out two.

Duffy battled through five innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits. He walked two and struck out seven. Latshaw went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, while McMillen, Fitzpatrick, and Tomasone each had two hits in the win.

In game two, the Lakers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Santora, who drove home McMillen after the freshman led off with a single.

The Crimson Hawks would take a 2-1 lead in the third inning when Dylan Songer launched a two-run home run off of Mercyhurst starter, senior Zach Leitten. That would be all that Leitten would allow, however, as the senior slammed the door the rest of the way and allowed the Laker bats to come alive.

And, the offense responded. Fitzpatrick tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run down the left field line for his first round tripper as a Laker. Then, Mercyhurst would take a 3-2 lead in the fifth on an RBI single by junior Zak Blair, who drove home McMillen.

The Lakers put the game away in the sixth with nine runs on nine hits to take a 12-2 advantage. Mercyhurst sent 14 batters to the plate in the sixth, getting two-run doubles from Adamczyk and Santora, and RBIs from freshman Jake Janeczko, Tomasone, McMillen, Latshaw, and Fitzpatrick.

Senior Samuel O'Neill pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to close out the afternoon.

Leitten pitched six innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out nine, improving to 3-1 on the season. McMillen and Blair both went 3-for-3 in the victory, while Janeczko and Fitzpatrick each had two hits in the win.

Mercyhurst will return to action on Tuesday, April 3 with a single, non-conference, nine-inning contest against Notre Dame College. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field.