Complete Box Score

AVON, Ohio - Senior Shane Latshaw snapped a 6-6 tie with a three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning, lifting the Mercyhurst University baseball team to a 10-6 victory at Notre Dame College on Tuesday afternoon in a single, nine-inning contest. The win lifted Mercyhurst's record to 26-9 overall on the season, while the Falcons dropped to 12-21-1.

The Lakers trailed 6-5 entering the eighth inning, but five runs would cross the plate for Mercyhurst, thanks in large part to Latshaw's team-leading sixth home run of the season.

Back-to-back one-out singles by sophomores Colin Loughner and Anthony Tomasone put runners at first and third to start the rally. Freshman Kolin McMillen, who had missed the previous five games due to strep throat, laced a single to left field, tying the game at 6-6. That set the stage for Latshaw, who drilled an opposite field home run off of Notre Dame reliever Travis Bondy for a 9-6 Mercyhurst advantage. Freshman Ryan Siegel then dropped a bunt single to continue the inning. Siegel stole second and then scored after Falcon right fielder Jesse Bartle misplayed a ball hit by senior Matt Adamczyk for the Lakers' tenth run of the game.

Notre Dame College would strike first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning off of Mercyhurst junior Matthew Jimenez. The Lakers would not get on the board until the top of the fourth inning off of Notre Dame starter Tyler DeCrapio. Adamczyk doubled to right center field, driving home Siegel, and cutting the Falcon lead to 2-1.

Mercyhurst then plated three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Siegel singled home Loughner to knot the game at two apiece. Then, senior Ethan Santora followed with a two-run single, scoring Latshaw and McMillen, giving Mercyhurst its first lead of the afternoon.

The Falcons would bounce back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning off of Jimenez to recapture a one-run lead. A two-run single by Eric Mathews was the big blow of the inning, tying the game at 4-4. Jimenez would not survive the sixth after allowing an RBI double to Shane DiFranco. Senior Jeremy Cressley would relieve Jimenez and would get two groundouts to end the Falcon sixth inning.

Mercyhurst would tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh, getting an RBI single from Adamczyk, who drove home Latshaw. But, the Falcons would retake the lead in the bottom half of the inning, setting up the big, five-run eighth inning for the Lakers.

Freshman Dan Altavilla and senior Samuel O'Neill pitched the eighth and ninth innings, with O'Neill allowing the only baserunner in the final two innings on a free pass. 

Mercyhurst hammered out 17 hits on the afternoon, with McMillen, Latshaw, and Siegel each recording three hits apiece. Those three, who accounted for the 1-2-3 spots in the order, combined to go 9-for-16 with seven runs scored and five RBIs. Adamczyk and Loughner chipped in with two hits each.

Jimenez went five-and-a-third innings and allowed five runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out two. Cressley was credited with the victory in relief, improving to 2-0 on the season. He went an inning-and-two-thirds, allowing one run on one hit. Altavilla pitched a perfect eighth, while O'Neill pitched around a walk in the ninth.

Mercyhurst will return to conference action on Friday, April 13 for a doubleheader at Slippery Rock. Game one of the twinbill is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. The teams will then return to Erie on Saturday for a doubleheader at Mercyhurst Baseball Field beginning at 1:00 p.m.