May 2, 2007

Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - Mercyhurst dropped a pair of games to nationally ranked Ashland in a GLIAC doubleheader. After falling in game one 4-1, the Lakers came up on the short end of a 6-3 final score in game two.

Game One
Sean Weyant's second home run of the year was the only offense Mercyhurst could muster and a pair of errors led to three unearned runs in a 4-1 loss.

Ashland jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a game-opening error in the top of the first. The Lakers got a run back in the bottom half of the second on Weyant's blasted over the fence in left field.

Casey Jirsa answered back for Ashland in the top of the third with a solo home run and the Eagles capped the scoring in the with a single run the next inning.

Both starting pitchers went the distance. Eric Drobotij fell to 3-3 for Mercyhurst, scattering six hits and striking out three. Josh Davidson held the Lakers to only four hits and fanned eight to improve to 7-2.

Jirsa was the only player with multiple hits for either team, going 2-for-4.

The loss snapped Mercyhurst's eight-game win streak.

Game Two
A three-run Eagle homer in the top of the fifth broke a 2-2 tie as Ashland picked up the sweep of the doubleheader.

Ashland scored twice in the first on RBI singles by Casey Jirsa and Justin Richards.

Mercyhurst battled back to tie things up with a run in the second and another in the third. In the second inning, John Blike singled down the left field line to score Joe Luli, who walked to lead off the inning. Then, in the third, a David Lough single to the gap in right center scored Trey Bennett and tied the game at 2-2.

The score remained tied until a three-run shot to left by Jacob Petkac gave Ashland a 5-2 lead. The Eagles stretched the advantage to 6-2 entering the bottom of the seventh.

The Lakers tried to rally with two outs in their final at bat. Dan Bertolini singled up the middle, Trey Bennett walked and Walczak brought home Bertolini with a base hit to right center. But after David Lough was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Simon Liston picked up a strikeout for Ashland to end the game and pick up the save.

Brian Espersen fell to 4-3 for Mercyhurst. He struck out six and allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks. James Ludwig gave up the final run in two innings of relief. He struck out three and allowed three hits.

Matt Schultz improved to 3-1 for Ashland. In four innings of work, he surrendered two runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out three.

Lough went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Lakers.

Tyson Rowland went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while Justin Randall also collected three hits.

Joe Luli went hitless to snap a 14-game hit streak.

With Wayne State losing twice at Saginaw Valley, the Lakers remained two games ahead of the Warriors for the fourth and final playoff spot in the GLIAC Championships entering the final weekend of conference play.

The Lakers are now 28-17 on the season and 14-10 in the GLIAC. Ashland improved to 33-13 overall and 20-3 in the conference.

Mercyhurst travels to Findlay for a four-game set with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.