MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Juniors Hank Morrison and Austin Alonge hit back-to-back home runs as part of a four-run eighth inning to help snap a 3-3 tie and to lift the Mercyhurst University baseball team to a 7-3 victory against Pfeiffer University on Tuesday afternoon. With the win, Mercyhurst remained perfect at 6-0 on the young season while the Falcons dropped to 13-10 overall.

Pfeiffer struck first with a run on two hits in the top of the third inning against Mercyhurst starter, redshirt senior righthander Jon Corbi. The Lakers, however, responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 2-1 advantage. Junior Brendan Cox led off the inning with a single and then advanced to second when junior Dan Popio drew a walk. After senior Giancarlo Saia struck out, Morrison came through with an RBI single to knot the game at 1-1. Alonge popped out for the second out of the inning, but junior Dan Karstedt followed with a two-out RBI single to knock home Popio for the Laker lead.

The Falcons reclaimed a one-run lead with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning against junior Mike Schnurr, who was making his first appearance in a Laker uniform. Zach Scudder had the big blow of the inning - a two-run home run that also scored Izzy Perez, who drew a one-out walk to start the rally. It was Scudder's third home run of the season.

The Laker bats got Schnurr off the hook with a run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 3-3. Sophomore Cameron Balego started the rally with a one-out double, advanced to third on a single by senior Angel Martinez, and then scored on an RBI double from redshirt senior Ryan Siegel. Mercyhurst had runners at second and third with one out but failed to do any more damage in the inning.

Freshman lefthander Matthew Minnick, making his first collegiate appearance, allowed one hit in the eighth, but struck out the side in the process to set up the Laker heroics in the bottom half of the frame.

Morrison led off the inning with a solo shot to give the Lakers a 4-3 lead. Alonge followed with his first home run as a Laker to put Mercyhurst ahead, 5-3. But, the Lakers were not done. After a pair of groundouts, Martinez started a two-out rally with a base hit and then advanced to second on a single by Siegel. Cox was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Popio, who drove home a pair with a solid single back up the middle to close out the inning.

Junior Jake Hall nailed down the ninth with a pair of groundouts and a strike out.

Mercyhurst had eleven hits, two each by Martinez, Siegel, and Morrison. Morrison and Popio had a pair of runs batted in while seven different Lakers scored a run in the victory.

Scudder went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs for Pfeiffer.

Corbi went the first five innings an earned a no-decision. He allowed one run on four hits, walked one, and struck out four. Schnurr pitched two innings and surrendered two runs on three hits with a walk and a strike out. By virtue of the four-run eighth inning, Minnick was credited with the victory, allowing a hit while striking out three in the top of the eighth. Hall pitched a perfect ninth.

Pfeiffer's Zach Huneycutt was saddled with the loss. He allowed five runs on seven hits in one and two-thirds innings of relief.

The Lakers are scheduled to return home on Saturday, March 14 for their first PSAC games of the season against Slippery Rock at the Mercyhurst University Baseball Field. Stay tuned to hurstathletics.com for any updates on a potential postponement.