IUP 14, Mercyhurst 12
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Mercyhurst College baseball team saw its season come to a close Friday afternoon, falling 14-12 to Indiana (Pa.) in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship tournament.
The Lakers (26-22) went 1-2 in the double elimination tournament while IUP (31-23) advances to play Kutztown at 6:30 p.m. in a rematch of yesterday’s winner’s bracket contest.
Mercyhurst closes the 2010 campaign with its second-straight PSAC postseason appearance and sixth-straight 25-win season under the direction of 11th-year head coach
Joe Spano.
After the Crimson Hawks opened with a run in the top of the first, the Lakers scored five in the bottom of the second and added another score in the fourth for a 6-1 advantage. IUP bounced back with two runs in the top of the fifth before Mercyhurst countered with a run in the bottom half of the inning.
The Crimson Hawks then exploded for eight runs in the top of the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth for a commanding 14-7 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
The Lakers made a valiant effort at a come-from-behind victory but fell just short as a ground out ended a rally in which six straight Mercyhurst players reached based and five-straight scored with two outs.
Turk reached on an error to start the rally and advanced to second on a single by
Adam Schlessel.
Justin Urschel then collected his third hit of the day, a triple, to plate Schlessel and pinch-runner
Jaasiel Rivera.
Craig Denman kept the hope alive with a single to left field before
Trey Bennett smacked the Lakers second triple of the inning to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 14-11. Next batter
Adam Gray singles to right field after an IUP pitching change, but Mercyhurst’s Ethan Santora# could not keep the rally going, grounding out to third base for the game’s final score.
It was the Crimson Hawks who opened the scoring in the first on a Kyle Stryker sacrifice fly before the Lakers took a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
Mercyhurst used four hits in the frame, including a leadoff single by designated hitter
Bill Gerstenslager, to start the rally. Next batter
Kevin McCall walked and two batters later
Justin Urschel doubled down the left field line for the Lakers first lead. After a walk by
Craig Denman,
Trey Bennett came through with a clutch single through the left side to plate both Urschel and Denman, stretching the Mercyhurst lead.
Adam Gray’s single to right center scored the Lakers final run of the inning.
Bennett’s homer in the next inning helped the Lakers to a 6-3 lead before IUP countered with two runs in the top of the fifth. Mercyhurst earned one of those runs back in the bottom of that frame when
Greg Turk scored on a wild pitch.
From there, it was all IUP offensively until the ninth frame when the Lakers scored five runs for the game’s final score.
For the Lakers , Urschel paced the offense with a 3-for-5 performance, including four RBI and two runs scored. Bennett also finished with a 3-for-5 day, adding four RBI and three runs scored. Gray went 2-for-5 with two RBI while Gerstenslager and Turk each contributed two hits on the day.
On the mound,
Nick Gillung took the loss for the Lakers, moving to 4-4 on the year. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs, six earned, on 10 hits while striking out four.
Eric Aschley,
Samuel O’Neill and
Jeremy Cressley all saw time on the mound for Mercyhurst.
Counterpart Jake Rougeux earned the win (3-2) as he went 3 2/3 innings, giving up five unearned runs on five hits while striking out three. Sam Cooke earned the save for the Crimson Hawks. Starter Willie Nelson lasted four innings, giving up six earned runs on seven hits.