Erie, Pa.- The Mercyhurst Lakers and Stonehill Skyhawks kicked off their series with a three hour 51 minute game on Friday that saw Ranciel Ventura become a hero with a walk off single in the 12^th inning. It was the Lakers third walk off in their past four home games and moved them to 5-3 at home on the year.
 
How it Happened:
Both sides were able to get runners on base early. Stonehill earned two walks and had a close play that nearly saw them take an early 1-0 lead. Ranciel Ventura made a slick play on a chopper and was able to get – at the plate to keep the game at 0-0. The Lakers then proceed to load the bases up with no hits, but Hunter Bell was able to get Freshman Ethan Adams to ground out to second to close the inning. Senior Aidan Kelly then allowed Jack Thorbahn to jump on the first pitch of the inning. Thorbahn drove it to deep center to give Stonehill a 1-0 lead. Mercyhurst continued to get runners on base in the second, but once again Bell was able to work out of a jam and leave two runners in scoring position. Senior Eric Chorba evened things up in the third inning with a leadoff home run of his own. It was his sixth home run of the season, which ties him for the team lead with Senior Jayden Walker.
 
The game remained tied for just one inning before Sam Parks singled in a run to make it a 2-1 ball game. Ventura retied the game in the bottom of the sixth, however. He grounded out but it was good enough to bring in Adams after Casey Smith hit a double to move him all the way to third base. Mercyhurst threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh after Senior Chris Juchno started the inning with a single and moved his way around the bags to third. But Max Brulport struck out Walker to close down the threat. The Skyhawks then gave their best punch in the top of the eighth. They loaded the bases on Ben Berdine, but he worked himself out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Joey Trivisonno then led off the bottom part of the inning with a double. But once again, Stonehill stranded a runner in scoring position. In the bottom of the ninth, the Lakers got Juchno and Chorba on base, but the Skyhawks continued to get themselves in and out of situations as they got Walker to ground out to close the inning.
 
In extras, both teams loaded the bases, but neither was able to get a runner in. The Skyhawks did it in the 10^th and the Lakers did it in the 11^th. It wasn't until Ventura hit a walk off single in the bottom of the 12^th that the game finally came to a close.
 
Next Game:
The Lakers will be action for game two of their series against Stonehill. First pitch is set for noon and can be caught on the NEC Front Row.
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