Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University baseball team wasted little time jumping on the Falcons of Notre Dame College on Tuesday afternoon. Mercyhurst scored all seven of its runs in the bottom of the first inning and then got excellent pitching en route to a 7-1 victory at the Mercyhurst University Baseball Field. The win snapped a two-game losing skid and improved the Lakers to 15-10 on the season. Notre Dame College dropped to 10-15 on the year.

After Mercyhurst junior Braedon Pennington pitched around a leadoff double in the top of the first inning, the Lakers spotted the southpaw with seven runs of offense in the bottom of the first inning.

Sophomore Kolin McMillen led off the inning with a walk and then stole second against Notre Dame College starter Bryan Pyper. After a walk to junior Joe Pantano, senior Zak Blair reached on a fielder's choice, advancing McMillen to third. Freshman Joel Yeagley walked to load the bases, bringing up freshman Brendan Cox. Cox hit a flare towards second base that took a side-spin bounce past the Falcons' second baseman Brennan Singleton, plating the first two runs of the inning. Sophomore Jake Marinelli followed with a single to right field, driving home Yeagley for a 3-0 Mercyhurst lead. Sophomore Ryan Siegel followed suit with a single to center, driving home Cox to extend the lead to 4-0.

Mercyhurst would then take advantage of three Falcon errors to score three more times. Freshman Hank Morrison reached on a throwing error by Falcon third baseman Jon Koepf, driving home Marinelli. Junior Anthony Tomasone beat out a double play ball and then advanced to second when the relay throw to first went out of play. Siegel scored on the fielder's choice as the Laker lead ballooned to 6-0. Then, back-to-back hits by McMillen and Pantano drove home Tomasone with the seventh run of the inning, and ended the afternoon for Pyper.

In came Erie native Tyler DeCrapio who slammed the door on the Lakers the rest of the way, but the damage had already been done.

All told, Mercyhurst sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning and scored seven runs on six hits, also taking advantage of three errors and three walks.

Pennington gave up a run in the top of the second inning after walks hurt him. A leadoff single and back-to-back free passes loaded the bases with one out, bringing up Tanner Dovsek, who drove in the Falcons' only run on a fielder's choice.

The Laker starter, however, would last only four innings and would not qualify for the win, as walks continued to pile up. All told, Pennington allowed one run on three hits in four innings. He walked five and struck out four.

Four Laker relievers allowed just one baserunner over the last five innings, with junior Jon Corbi getting the win in relief. He pitched perfect fifth and sixth innings, striking out three batters in the process. He improved to 2-0 on the season.

Junior Dan Parker pitched a perfect seventh, freshman Ben Nolan tossed a perfect eighth, and freshman Cam Knott allowed one hit in the ninth, but the runner was erased on a double play.

DeCrapio slammed the door on Mercyhurst, allowing four hits in seven and one-third innings of relief. He walked three and struck out two.

Mercyhurst outhit Notre Dame College 9-to-4. McMillen paced the Lakers with two hits in four trips. Cox drove in two of the team's seven runs.

The Lakers will return to conference action on Friday afternoon when they host Indiana (Pa.) at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field for a PSAC doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.