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Box Score 2 Greensburg, Pa. - Mercyhurst Baseball saw their season come to an end Sunday afternoon after dropping a pair of games against Seton Hill in the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional. After falling in game one 4-0, the Lakers dropped game two by a final of 12-5 to end their season with a 30-17 overall record.
How It Happened
Game One
Seton Hill was able to strike first with one run in the top of the first. After a leadoff walk, a sacrifice fly allowed the opening Griffin salvo to be fired. It looked like they were going to add on with two on and two out, but a nice play up the middle by shortstop Matt Christopher ended the frame.
The Griffins managed to add one more to their tally in the top of the fourth, taking a 2-0 lead deeper into the middle innings. After the first two SHU batters of the frame recorded outs, a double and subsequent single allowed the run to come in and grow Seton Hill's advantage.Â
They then added on with two more in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. It looked like the Lakers were going to put a dent in the scoreboard in their half of the frame of the sixth with runners on third and second with no one out, but three straight outs allowed SHU to wiggle out of trouble unscathed.
Mercyhurst's pitching continued to keep the game close as Nicholas Merriman entered the game to begin the eighth and recorded all three outs with strikeouts, keeping the score at 4-0 going into the bottom of the frame.
After Merriman repeated his performance in the ninth, the Lakers looked to pull off the comeback once again. They were turned away this time, though, as a few hard-hit balls found gloves to end game one by a score of 4-0.
Game Two
Seton Hill jumped out in front, putting a crooked number on the board in the opening inning. A leadoff double helped the Griffins grab the momentum with that runner coming around to score before a bunt single plated the second. The biggest hit of the frame ended up being a home run to left field, making it a 5-0 game going into the second.
The Griffins did not slow down from there as they scored two more in the second while Mercyhurst got on the board in the top of the third. After a single off the bat of Eric Chorba began the inning, Mitchell Grosch brought him in with two away to make it 7-1.
SHU had a rebuttal in the bottom of the frame with four runs coming across in the inning to extend their lead to 11-1. Mercyhurst did manage to score four more times thanks to home runs from John Susnik and Chris Juchno, but it proved to be a moot point as the Griffins won by a final of 12-5.
Highlights
John Bufford Jr. made it through seven frames in game number one on the bump, giving up seven hits and four runs with three strikeouts to his line. Vincent Stutz pitched five innings of relief in game two and did his part, giving up just one run on four hits and a walk while adding a trio of Ks to his line. Mitchell Grosch led the team in hits with three with an RBI to his line. Zachary Kourous also had multiple hits with two while Luke Jackson, Matt Christopher, John Susnik, and Chris Juchno had the four extra-base hits on the day for the Lakers.
