Erie, PA—In a matchup of PSAC West Powerhouses the Mercyhurst Baseball Team split their Friday doubleheader against No. 7 Seton Hill. In game one the Lakers won 7-6, in game two the Lakers fell by a score of 4-2.
Game One (W, 7-6)
To open the day the Griffins were the ones who struck first when they were able to push across a run off a SAC Fly with the bases loaded. Seton Hill would add three more runs in the third to make 4-0 after two and a half innings.
Mercyhurst came to the plate in the third and after two outs to open the inning, Troy Banks drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Jack Elliott came to the plate and ripped one to right center. Banks was on his horse determined to score as third base coach Charlie Spano waved him around third, the throw was cut off and Banks dove safely into home to make 4-1.
The Griffins regained their four-run lead in the fourth after a homer that made it 5-1.
Mercyhurst answered back in the bottom half of the fourth. Josh Surowiec opened the inning with a single, Tyler Zaluski and Matthew Gibson would each single to load the bases with no outs. Casimer Sobaszek was able to single to right center which allowed both Surowiec and Zaluski to score. After a strikeout, Luke Baranchak came to the plate and drove Gibson in with a SAC Fly to make the score 5-4 Seton Hill after four full innings.
After a scoreless fifth Seton Hill pushed their sixth run across in the sixth inning.
The Lakers came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh down 6-4 with just three outs left.
It all started on a 3-2 pitch to Banks, he skyed it a mile high, and did something every young ball player should learn to do, he ran it out and got to second base as the third basemen dropped the popup. A groundout moved Banks to third and a Philip Ferranti walk put runners on the corners for Surowiec. On a 1-2 count just as the wind stopped blowing in, Surowiec connected and the ball just kept carrying until it cleared the left field fence to give the Lakers the 7-6 walkoff win. It was Surowiec's second walkoff homer of the season.
Michael McDonough started on the mound and allowed five runs on four hits while striking out five in five innings of work. Michael Krauza picked up his sixth win of the season as he went two innings and allowed one run on two hits and struck out two.
Game Two (L, 4-2)
Vincenzo Lucente got the ball in game two for the Lakers and went four strong innings allowing just one run on two hits while racking up five strikeouts.
The Griffins got on the board first in the top of the third as they strung together a walk, a stolen base, and a single to take the 1-0 lead.
Mercyhurst answered right back to open the bottom half of the third as Luke Jackson blasted his third homer of the season over the fence.
With two outs, Elliott started a rally with a single, he advanced to second on wild pitch from the Griffins. Ferranti singled up the middle on a 3-2 pitch which allowed Elliott to come around to score the second Laker run.
In the fifth the Griffins took the lead thanks to a two-run home run.
The best defensive play of the game came in the sixth inning as Seton Hill was threatening to extend their lead. With runners on first and second and two outs the Griffins decided to test the arm of Brandon Arnold in left field, they soon learned not to test him as he threw a one hop strike to the plate and kept it a one run game.
In the seventh the Griffins pushed their fourth run across to extend the lead to two.
Mercyhurst had runners on first and second in the bottom half but could not convert.
Chase Stewart went 1.1 innings for the Lakers and allowed two runs while and struck out two. Krauza went 1.2 innings in game two and allowed a run on three hits.
Up Next
The Lakers and Griffins will once again square off for a doubleheader tomorrow with game one starting at 1 PM.
