Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - Freshman Stephen Scaccia did it again.

Scaccia drove in the tying run with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth and then came around to score the game-winning run as the Mercyhurst University baseball team shocked the Falcons of Notre Dame College, 3-2, on Wednesday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Baseball Field. The Lakers improved to 19-11 overall while the Falcons dropped to 10-18 on the season

One game after delivering a two-out, three-run double in the top of the sixth inning to lead Mercyhurst to a 5-4 victory over Indiana University of Pennsylvania last Saturday, the Laker centerfielder came up with an equally important hit on Wednesday afternoon.

With Mercyhurst trailing 2-1 and having mustered only three hits through eight innings, freshman Joel Yeagley drew a six-pitch walk to start the ninth inning rally against Notre Dame starter Zach Gresch, who was then lifted for reliever Kevin Beduhn after the free pass. Freshman Hank Morrison sacrificed Yeagley to second base and then Beduhn got junior Anthony Tomasone to roll out to shortstop, advancing Yeagley to third. Scaccia, batting ninth in the order, then laced an 0-1 pitch to right field that dropped in for the game-tying hit.

Then, Scaccia used his legs to score the winning run. With sophomore Kolin McMillen at the plate, Scaccia took off for second on an 0-1 count to the Laker leadoff batter. The freshman swiped the bag easily and then advanced to third when the throw from Notre Dame catcher Austin Creer rolled into centerfield. The next pitch from Beduhn got past Creer for a wild pitch and Scaccia crossed the plate without a play, giving the Lakers the walk-off victory.

Neither team generated much in the way of offense on a cold and blustery afternoon. The teams combined for eight hits in the nine-inning contest, with each team generating four safeties.

The first hit of the game came with two outs in the top of the third inning when Notre Dame's Jon Koepf singled up the middle against Mercyhurst starter, junior Braedon Pennington. Koepf later scored the Falcons' first run on an RBI double by Jesse Bartle. That proved to be the only extra-base hit of the contest for the Falcons.

Notre Dame would extend its lead to 2-0 in the top of the seventh against Laker reliever Jon Corbi. The Falcons' Jared Clovis led off the inning with an eight-pitch walk to start the rally. After Clovis was retired on a fielder's choice at second, Creer singled to right field on a hit-and-run, which would have advanced Blondeaux to third. However, the ball got underneath the glove of Yeagley and rolled all the way to the fence. Blondeaux scored easily and Creer ended up at third with only one out. Corbi then got two groundouts to end the inning without any further damage.

The Lakers got their first run in the bottom of the seventh. Scaccia reached on a fielder's choice, beating a potential inning-ending double play. McMillen, with two outs, then ripped a sinking liner to left field that the Falcons' Jarlys Mejia dove for, but missed. The ball rolled to the fence, scoring Scaccia while McMillen ended up on third with a triple. But, Gresch got out of the inning, snaring a sharp line drive off the bat of junior Joe Pantano that was destined for center field.

That set up the ninth-inning heroics.

Pennington was solid for the Lakers, pitching six strong innings. The junior lefthander allowed one run on just two hits, walked two, and struck out three for the no-decision. Corbi pitched the seventh and allowed an unearned run on one hit and two walks. Junior Adam Curyto came on in the eighth and pitched an inning and two-thirds, allowing one hit while striking out three. Freshman Ben Nolan retired the final batter in the top of the ninth inning and earned his first collegiate victory out of the bullpen.

Gresch gave a gutsy performance on the mound for the Falcons. He went eight innings and pitched to one batter in the ninth. The lefthander was charged with two runs on three hits. He did have to pitch around seven walks in the contest. Beduhn gave up the winning run and suffered his first loss of the season.

McMillen had two of Mercyhurst's four hits in the victory.

The Lakers will jump back into conference play this weekend with home-and-home doubleheaders against Lock Haven on Friday and Saturday. The teams will be at Lock Haven on Friday for a 1:00 p.m. start and then will convene in Erie on Saturday, also for a 1:00 p.m. start.