Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Junior Angel Martinez went 5-for-5 with three runs scored and junior Jake Marinelli and sophomore Brendan Cox each drove in three runs to lift the Mercyhurst University baseball team to a 12-7 victory at Trevecca Nazarene on Friday evening in Nashville, Tennessee. The Lakers improved to 7-3 overall on the season while the Trojans dropped to 15-3 on the year.

Sophomore Dan Popio and senior Joe Pantano also had big days at the dish as part of a 16-hit barrage by the Laker offense. Popio went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs while Pantano contributed with two hits in six trips and scored three times.

The Trojans led 1-0 after three innings before the Lakers tied the game in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by sophomore Hank Morrison, who plated Popio after he led off the inning with a double.

However, Trevecca Nazarene answered with three runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 4-1 lead against Laker starter, senior Tanner Delahoy. Tyler Tichenor had the big blow in the inning with a two-run double while Hunter Newman followed with a run-scoring single.

The Lakers came back in a big way, scoring four runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to claim a 9-4 advantage. Cox started the rally with a two-run single up the middle and then Morrison drove in his second run of the afternoon after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Sophomore Dan Karstedt drove home the final run of the fifth inning with an RBI fielder's choice. In the sixth, Cox and Popio had RBI singles and Marinelli drove home a pair with a two-run double to right center to extend the Laker lead.

Mercyhurst plated two more in the seventh, for an 11-4 lead, after Popio was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Marinelli drew a walk with the sacks filled.

Pantano singled home a run in the eighth inning to give the Lakers a 12-4 advantage. The Trojans scored three in the bottom half of the frame, against senior Dan Parker, which proved to be the final runs of the contest.

Martinez, after the 5-for-5 performance, now leads the Lakers in hitting through the first ten games of the season. The junior shortstop is batting .410 (16-for-39) with 11 runs scored and five runs batted in.

Delahoy, making his first start in a Laker uniform, went seven innings and allowed four earned runs on seven hits. He walked five and struck out four for his first victory of the season. Parker allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in his inning of work. He also walked two batters. Sophomore Jake Hall pitched the ninth and allowed a hit and a walk in his scoreless frame.

Newman, Tichenor, and Nick Howell each had three hits in a losing effort for Trevecca Nazarene. Four Trojan pitchers combined to allow 12 runs on 16 hits on the afternoon. Mercyhurst also drew four walks and four hit batsmen.

The Lakers will play against Grand Valley State at 11:00 a.m. followed by a contest against Bloomsburg University at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will be played in Nashville.