Complete Box Score

WEST LAWN, Pa. – Top-seeded Seton Hill scored two unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning, snapping a 1-1 tie, and held on to defeat the Mercyhurst University baseball team 3-1 in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional on Saturday morning at Owls Field in West Lawn, Pa. The loss ended the Lakers' season with a 39-17 record.

The Lakers gift-wrapped a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning and could not mount a comeback against the Griffins over their final four at-bats. Sophomore first baseman Colin Loughner made a diving stop on a sharp grounder in the hole, but his flip to senior pitcher Zach Leitten was dropped, allowing Mike Leviseur to reach to start the inning. Nicholas Sell then drew a ten-pitch walk and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Cody Herald. Jackson Boyd hit a deep fly ball to center field, scoring Leviseur. Sell also tagged and advanced, and, as the Lakers tried to gun him down at third, senior Ethan Santora's throw bounced into the Mercyhurst dugout for the second run of the inning.  

Leitten gave the Lakers a great performance on the mound in what was his final collegiate start. The senior righthander went the distance and allowed three runs (one earned) on nine hits. He walked two and struck out five. But, Leitten was outdueled by Seton Hill's freshman starter Brett Sullivan, who kept the Laker offense in check all afternoon. Sullivan also went the distance, allowing one run on six hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out four.

Seton Hill got right to work in the top of the first inning against Leitten. Brendan Constantino led off the inning by lacing the first pitch of the game into left field for a base hit and then promptly stole second. Constantino advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Erminio and scored on a two-out single to left field by Cody Herald, giving Seton Hill a 1-0 advantage.

However, in the bottom of the first inning, senior Shane Latshaw singled with two outs – the first of three consecutive hits by the Lakers. It was Latshaw's 76th hit of the season, tying the Mercyhurst record, which was held by a couple of players including Zak Blair last year. Santora followed with an infield single to keep the inning alive, and then Latshaw scored when Blair flared a single to left center, tying the game at 1-1. 

Mercyhurst had an excellent opportunity to get a run across in the bottom of the third when sophomore Anthony Tomasone reached on an error to start the frame and then advanced to second on a wild pitch with no one out. But, Sullivan got a pop out off the bat of Latshaw, a shallow fly ball to center from Santora, and a line drive out to right field from Blair to end the threat.

After the first inning, Mercyhurst could muster just three hits over the final eight innings against Sullivan – a leadoff single by Loughner in the second, a two-out double by Blair in the sixth, and a two-out single by freshman Kolin McMillen in the seventh.

Mercyhurst got a runner on in the bottom of the ninth inning when Loughner was hit by a pitch with one out. But, the freshman recorded the final two outs of the game on fly balls by freshman pinch hitter Kyle Hagerich and senior pinch hitter Jaasiel Rivera.

The Lakers finished one win shy of having back-to-back 40-win seasons under head coach Joe Spano, finishing with a 39-17 overall record.

Mercyhurst will say goodbye to nine seniors, all of whom have been a part of 81 victories, a PSAC Championship, two PSAC West titles, and two trips to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament. The four-year seniors on this year's roster – pitchers Jeremy Cressley, Samuel O'Neill, and Eric Aschley; and position players Ethan Santora and Jaasiel Rivera – will leave after having been a part of three of the top-four winningest seasons in program history. The Lakers will also say goodbye to two-year seniors Shane Latshaw, Brad Duffy, Zach Leitten, and Matt Adamczyk.