SUTHERLAND, Va. -- The third-ranked Mercyhurst baseball team dropped a 7-6 decision to Mansfield in non-conference play on Saturday.

The Lakers (3-2) collected six extra-base hits, while Mansfield had only two, but the decisive blow was a walk-off solo home run by the Mountaineers' Zephan Cash.

Austin Alonge and Daniel Elliott had 2-for-3 games for Mercyhurst as both had a double, homer and RBI. Elliott scored twice while Alonge scored once for the Lakers, who batted as the visiting team.

Brendan Cox was 2-for-4 with a double. Cameron Balego also doubled.

Colin McKee was the starting pitcher for Mercyhurst, throwing five innings of shutout ball. He allowed two hits while recording six strikeouts, three walks and one hit batsman. The Laker relief effort struggled, giving up seven runs in three-plus innings.

Mercyhurst took 1-0 and 2-1 leads on the home runs by Alonge and Elliott in the fourth and seventh innings, respectively.

The Mountaineers (1-0) scored five runs on two hits in the seventh -- those two hits being a two-run double by Ryan Paige and a two-run single by Owen Lukens. They were aided by four walks and a hit batter.

The Lakers battled back with one run in the eighth on a Mansfield error and then three more in the ninth. Balego had an RBI double before Mercyhurst pulled within one run on an error and then tied the contest when Cox drew a bases-loaded walk.

Mercyhurst had a chance to take the lead in the ninth, having the bases loaded with only one out, but an inning-ending double play set the stage for Cash's blast in the bottom half.

Tommy Alexander started on the hill for Mansfield, giving up one run on five hits. Joseph DePerno earned the win in relief. Jake Hall suffered the loss for Mercyhurst.

The Lakers will return to action on Sunday with a 10 a.m. non-conference doubleheader at Dinwiddie Park against Le Moyne.