Complete Box Score

BUTLER, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University baseball team got over the first hurdle in its attempt to defend the PSAC Championship, defeating Millersville 5-1 on Wednesday evening in the final game on day one of the PSAC Tournament. The Lakers improved to 36-13 with the victory and, more importantly, advanced in the winner's bracket of the tournament.

Mercyhurst will play  Shippensburg University Thursday evening at Pullman Park in Butler with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The Red Raiders defeated California 5-4 earlier in the day Wednesday.

The Lakers were the only team from the West to win on day one - Gannon lost to Kutztown, Slippery Rock lost to West Chester, and California lost to Shippensburg.

Junior lefthander, and PSAC West Pitcher of the Year, Ben Rawding, throwing on short rest, gave the Lakers a gutsy performance on the all-important day one of the tournament. He went seven-plus innings allowing one run on eight hits. He walked three and struck out three to improve to 9-0 on the season.

Mercyhurst  scored four of its five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie. Freshman Kolin McMillen got the Lakers' first hit of the game with a leadoff triple to right field. Two batters later, senior PSAC West Player of the Year Shane Latshaw put Mercyhurst on the board with a triple to left center field, driving home McMillen. Senior Ethan Santora followed with an RBI single, driving home Latshaw for a 2-0 Mercyhurst advantage. After a single by junior Zak Blair and a walk to senior Matt Adamczyk, sophomore Colin Loughner hit a bloop single that tipped off the glove of Millersville shortstop Mike August in shallow left field, driving home both Santora and Blair for a 4-0 Mercyhurst lead.

The Marauders threatened in each of the first three innings, leaving seven runners on base against Rawding. Millersville finally broke through for its only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning, cutting the Mercyhurst lead to 4-1, when leftfielder Kurt Seiders drove home August.
  
Adamczyk capped off the scoring for Mercyhurst, and for the game, with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving the Lakers a 5-1 lead. He drove home Santora who started the inning with a double.

Rawding came out to start the eighth inning but, after a leadoff single to Chris Edgar, was replaced. Freshman PSAC West First Team selection Dan Altavilla came on in relief and retired the final six batters in order, including two strikeouts, to close out the win for the Lakers.

Santora had two of Mercyhurst's eight hits in the contest. He was the only Laker to finish the night with more than one hit.

Mercyhurst will battle Shippensburg on Thursday evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the first pitch. You can follow along at PSAC Baseball Tournament Central.