Boxscore
FLEMINGTON, N.J. – The Mercyhurst College baseball team closed out a weekend series against Caldwell Sunday, March 7, dropping a 5-4 decision in 10 innings at the Diamond Nation Baseball Training Complex.
The Lakers, trailing 4-1 after six innings, rallied to tie the game at 4-4. However, Caldwell won the game, 5-4, with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th.
With the setback, Mercyhurst is now 5-7, while Caldwell holds a 2-1 record after taking two of three from the Lakers.
Mercyhurst’s pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts during the contest, the most since a 16-strikeout outing against Felician one year ago to the date, March 7, 2009. Freshman
Ben Rawding struck out nine batters during five innings of work, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits. Freshman
Joe Cochran pitched four and two-thirds innings in relief, allowing just one run on two hits, fanning seven hitters.
Craig Denman and
Adam Gray each batted 3-for-5 on the day, with Denman scoring two runs and driving one run in.
Ethan Santora hit 1-for-3 with three runs batted in for the Lakers.
Greg Turk posted a 2-for-5 batting performance.
Caldwell plated a pair during the first inning, but Mercyhurst sliced the deficit to half when Santora drove in Denman with a sacrifice fly. Two more Caldwell runs in the fifth gave the Cougars a 4-1 advantage.
The Lakers used a two-out rally in the top of the seventh to pull to within one run at 4-3, as Santora belted a double down the left field line, scoring Denman and
Kevin McCall. Mercyhurst tied the game in the top of the ninth on an RBI single from Denman.
The Lakers open PSAC West play Friday, March 12 with a home double-header against cross town rival Gannon. First pitch of the opening game is set for 1 p.m.