March 31, 2007

Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - Mercyhurst and Saginaw Valley State traded wins in a GLIAC doubleheader to start the weekend's four-game series. Mercyhurst used a three-run inning to take a 5-1 win in game one before the Cardinals outlasted the Lakers 6-5 in 10 innings in game two.

Game One
A Brian Sanders RBI single in the bottom of the fourth broked a 1-1 tie and led Mercyhurst to a 5-1 victory.

Sanders' base hit plated pinch runner Adam Stewart. Stewart entered the game in place of Josh Schmidt, who walked to lead off the inning. Trey Bennett followed Schmidt with a bunt single, and he and Stewart were bunted over by Sean Weyant. After Sanders' hit, Bennett scored on an error. Jamie Walczak drove in Dan Bertolini to close the scoring in the inning and give the Lakers a 4-1 lead.

Mercyhurst added another run the following inning on a solo shot by Jeff Stoll, the first of his career at Mercyhurst.

Saginaw Valley got a run in the second inning off starter Eric Drobotij, but the junior righty did not allow another run, retiring eight of the last 10 batters he faced.

Drobotij picked up his first win of the season, scattering six hits and walk over five innings. James Ludwig picked up his first save of the year with two innings of hitless relief.

Walczak, Bennett and Bertolini all had a pair of hits for Mercyhurst.

Game Two
An RBI base hit by Max Bell in the 10th inning broke a 5-5 tie and gave the Cardinals a split in the doubleheader.

Mercyhurst had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jamie Walczak led off the inning with a single and was tripled home by David Lough. A sacrifice fly by Jeff Stoll brought home Lough.

After Saginaw Valley took a 3-2 lead in the top of the second, Mercyhurst answered with a three-run inning in the bottom of the frame. Sean Weyant walked with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch with two outs. After Dan Bertolini walked, Jamie Walczak stroked an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3. Bertolini scored on a wild pitch and Lough drove in his second run of the day for a 5-3 Laker lead.

The Cardinals tied it up in the top of the third and neither team scored for the next seven innings.

Steve Grife took the loss, despite allowing just two hits in four innings of relief, while striking out five. Ryan Schreiber was also stellar out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit and two walks in 3.1 scoreless innings.

T.J. Swanson was credited with the win, while Andrew Doyle shut the door in the 10th for the save.

Lough was 3-for-4 in the game with a two RBIs, a triple and a stolen base. Bertolini and Walczak each had two hits.

With the split, Mercyhurst moved to 14-8 and is 3-3 in the GLIAC. Saginaw Valley State is 12-7 overall and 2-4 in conference play. The two teams meet again on Sunday, starting at noon.