ERIE, Pa. — Mercyhurst secured a decisive 12-5 victory over Niagara on Wednesday. The Lakers capitalized on a strong second inning, scoring six runs, to establish an early lead that they maintained throughout the game.
Niagara took an early lead in the first inning, scoring four runs on a walk and later scored on a balk.
Mercyhurst responded in the bottom of the second inning.
Dana Williams walked and scored as part of a six-run inning.
Logan Koslin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in a run, and
Zachary Kourous added a sacrifice fly.
Ranciel Ventura and
Luke Babcock both delivered RBI hits to put the Lakers ahead 6-4.
In the third inning, Mercyhurst extended its lead with a five-run burst. Kourous singled to right field, driving in two runs, and later scored on an error.
Mike Samarin hit an RBI triple, and another run scored on a defensive miscue by Niagara, making it 11-4.
Niagara scored once in the seventh inning, but Mercyhurst answered with a run of its own.
Derrick Holmes Jr. scored on a wild pitch to maintain the lead.
The final score was Mercyhurst 12, Niagara 5.
Peyton Weigand opened the game for the Lakers and he allowed four earned runs and three walks in just 0.1 innings, throwing 28 pitches with 12 strikes.
Noah Ehlers then took over, contributing 2.2 innings, allowing one hit and three walks, and striking out three batters, with 23 of his 44 pitches being strikes.
Zac Evenson provided stability and depth, pitching six innings with six strikeouts, giving up one earned run, and securing the win by allowing only four hits and one walk while throwing 95 pitches, 63 of which were strikes.
Koslin recorded two hits and scored two runs in the game, contributing significantly to the team's offense. Kourous tallied three RBIs, showcasing his ability to drive in runs effectively. Babcock matched Kourous with three RBIs and added a double, further enhancing the scoring efforts. Holmes Jr. crossed the plate three times, demonstrating his knack for getting on base and scoring.
In their next game, Mercyhurst will travel to Syracuse, New York, to face Le Moyne at 3 p.m. ET Friday, April 10.
