ERIE, Pa. --The Mercyhurst football team fell 48-13 to visiting IUP Saturday afternoon at Saxon Stadium on Homecoming. 

IUP struck first when they blocked a Laker punt and returned it eight yards for a touchdown. Mercyhurst answered with a six-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 17-yard touchdown on a catch and run by Ayron Rodriguez to tie the game 7-7 with 10:00 left in the first. 

The Crimson Hawks scored the next three touchdowns to build a 28-7 advantage less than a minute into the second quarter. Brian Alsobrooks snapped the Crimson Hawk run with a 39-yard field goal that put a bow on an 11-play, 56-yard drive to trim the lead to 28-10 with 5:38 remaining in the second. 

Irving Charles extended the Crimson Hawk lead with an 11-yard touchdown catch with 1:27 left in the first half. The Lakers drove 59 yards to end the drive and added another Alsobrooks field goal at the end of the half. 

IUP scored twice in the second half to set the final at 48-13. 

Michael Lowery finished the game with a 135 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Lakers had 11 receivers catch a pass led by Cameron Barmore with four catches for 45 yards. 

Thomas Zacharyasz led the Lakers with 12 tackles, seven solo. Jacob Holl chipped in nine stops. 

The Lakers are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Cal for a 3:00 p.m. kickoff with the Vulcans.