Salem, WV—For the second straight day the Mercyhurst Baseball team played a doubleheader in Salem. After splitting opening day with Wheeling, the Lakers were able to sweep Salem by scores of 4-3 and 18-4.
Game One (W, 4-3)
In game one the Lakers sent Vincenzo Lucente to mound for his first start of the season. The graduate student was able to go 3.1 innings while allowing just one run and striking out four Tigers. Before Lucente even took the mound the Lakers were able to get him a 2-0 lead. For the second straight day Jack Elliott was able send a ball into orbit over the wall for his second homer of the young season. Mercyhurst wouldn't score again until the sixth inning, Philip Ferranti decided he want to get first homer of the season as hit a solo homer to open the sixth inning. Later in the inning with runners on first and second Troy Banks would single through right side to drive in Brandon Arnold who pinch-ran for Luke Jackson earlier in the inning. Jack Goonan would come in for the seventh and shut the door on the Tigers, after allowing a hit and an earned run and unearned run, Goonan would close the game out and secure the Laker win.
Game Two (W, 18-4)
For the second game of the day, Mercyhurst sent Nathan Holt to the bump for his first appearance as a Laker. Just like in the first game, Mercyhurst would take the lead before they even threw a pitch. This time it was Tyler Zaluski who hit his first homer of the season and first as a Laker after transferring from Seton Hill. The pitching staff allowed just four runs (one unearned) and just two hits while striking out nine Tigers in seven innings. The Mercyhurst hitters decided they didn't want anymore close games this weekend as four different Lakers including Zaluski and Elliott his homers in the second game. Both Jackson and John Susnik were able to hit their first career homers in the win. 12 different Lakers had hits while record 20 total hits as a team. Eight players for the Lakers record RBI's with Jackson and Elliott leading the way with three each. Holt pitched 1.2 innings and recorded two strikeouts, Frank Fraschetti came in and threw 2.1 innings of shutout ball while allowing just one hit. Brett Whiteman, Josh Greggs and Corbin Foy each came in for an inning to close out the game and allowed just one run while striking out five in the last three innings.
Team Leaders
Batting Average: Ferranti .462, Zaluski .429, Banks .400
Home Runs: Elliott (3), Ferranti, Zaluski, Jackson, Susnik (1)
RBI: Elliott (8), Ferranti, Dominic Cecere (4), Zaluski, Jackson, Mathew Gibson (3)
Doubles: Banks (4), Ferranti, Cecere, (2), six tied at 1
Strikeouts: Michael Krauza (7), Michael McDonough (6), Lucente, Chase Stewart (4)
Up Next
The Lakers will come back to Erie and play at Mercyhurst for the first time since 2019, Mercyhurst will host Notre Dame College on Friday, Lake Erie College on Saturday before heading to Akron to take on Division I Akron.
